Tie the Knot
by Payton79
Summary: Statistics say arranged marriages have a better chance at lasting. Is that still true if the couple is chosen by a group of experts and married on TV with at least one partner in it for the wrong reasons? A lost bet, the promise of money and a stranger for a bride. Will confirmed bachelor Edward Masen find a match made in heaven or hell? Inspired by the show Married at First Sight
1. Chapter 1 - Debts of Honor

**A/N:** Hi and welcome to the first chapter of my new story. When **Two Blue Line** was almost completely written, I was desperately looking for inspiration for a next project when the show _Married At First Sight_ started to air on a German TV station. That was exactly what I'd been waiting for. Some may know the show, others won't. I assure you, it's not necessary to have seen it to get what this story is about.

For all of you who didn't know, I wrote an OS as an extended teaser for this story and entered it into the _Meet the Mate Contest_. Those of you who either followed the contest or read the OS after I posted it, you may remember parts of the first two chapters, but I promise, this story is starting a few weeks before the OS, and all parts that were in the OS have at least been extended.

I gathered a wonderful team around me; three wonderful ladies I just couldn't do without. **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl** , I can't tell you how much I admire your work and appreciate the time and effort you put into this. Thank you all so much.

Now, let's see if you like my new story :).

 **Disclaimer:** I neither own Twilight nor Married At First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 1 – Debts of Honor

~Edward~

Why was I up at ten in the fucking morning on a goddamn Saturday, sitting in a conference room with about three hundred other guys, waiting for something — anything — to happen? Oh yeah, right — because I was a sucker for punishment.

Not able to keep my fucking mouth shut, I bet against my friends, Seth and Emmett, that a taxi would get through rush hour traffic faster than Em's beloved black Mustang. That idiot was so confident in his baby's power and his own driving prowess that I just had to take him down a notch. Unfortunately, I must have ended up with the dumbest cabby in Manhattan to take me across town for that race. A few fries short of a Happy Meal, the idiot managed to lose his way twice in the process. That gave Emmett the chance to arrive with time to spare; he'd even parked the car properly behind the bar where we were supposed to meet.

Being sure of myself and New York's taxi drivers, I would have accepted any wager, so I could maybe thank my lucky stars I only had to go to the casting for this mysterious new dating show. If I won, I'd become the new Bachelor or that guy who pretends to be a millionaire only to have the unlucky winner find out later I was about as poor as a church mouse.

Okay, that might be a little exaggerated, but I was far from being wealthy. I was twenty-eight, rotting away in the IT department of a big company and living with my college roommate. I wasn't looking too bad — at least the ladies never complained — but I wasn't anywhere near Prince Charming material.

How long were they planning on keeping us waiting? The email Emmett received, after signing me up for this joke, said the thing would start at ten. Now it was five past ten. I wasn't usually the first to arrive anywhere, but couldn't we at least expect them to respect us enough to start on time? Come on, we got up virtually in the middle of the night on a Saturday for this big event.

Five more minutes passed before four people walked onto the podium situated in the front of the room.

The two men and two women took seats facing us and exchanged a few words we couldn't catch. Then a blond guy in his mid-forties stood, picked up a microphone and stepped in front of the table.

"Good morning, gentlemen. My name's Dr. Carlisle Cullen and I'm a psychologist at New York University. My companions here are Dr. Esme Platt …" He gestured toward an attractive, hazel-haired woman of about forty. "She's a sociology professor at NYU." The woman nodded in greeting, and Dr. Cullen waved his hand toward a pretty blonde of maybe thirty-five. "This is Irina Denali. She's a sexologist." She smiled encouragingly. "And last but not least, we have Peter Nichols. He's a spiritual advisor at Columbia University." The slender, dark-haired man on the right end of the table gave one quick nod.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, you might ask yourself what a bunch of shrinks and university graduates are doing at a casting for a TV show. Let me tell you, this is not your regular dating show. It's a radical, new, sociological experiment."

He let his words sink in for a moment, none of us having any idea what he was rambling about.

"Decades of studies on marriages and divorces have proven that — statistically — arranged marriages have a better chance at lasting than ones founded through the traditional dating system."

Why was he talking about marriage? Wasn't this _The Dating Game_ or something?

"All of you have answered an ad targeted toward people who want to settle down and find a lasting relationship."

 _Hell no!_ I hadn't even seen that ad. Emmett had planned this whole thing.

"We have established a system which allows us to match up people with accuracy and precision. Our goal is to find partners whose characters, hobbies, future plans and values are similar enough to convince us they'll be able to forge a lasting bond. Those partners will be married at their first meeting …"

I didn't really hear anything else after that.

 _Married? Is that guy nuts? Are they all totally out of their fucking minds?_

I felt the overwhelming urge to jump up from my chair and run out of the room as fast as I could. Somehow, though, I remained seated and instead watched the guys around me — most of them wore matching expressions of shock and horror, but a few idiots looked actually intrigued.

Having no idea how long the meeting lasted, I was relieved when I could leave without drawing too much attention to myself. I walked out of the room hidden in a crowd, grabbed papers the people at the doors handed each of us, and made a beeline for the next subway station to get home, where there was booze to drown the memory of this strange experience.

****TtK****

"Oh man, I had no idea." Emmett shook his head, taking a pull from his beer bottle after he'd spewed the last one across the coffee table in surprise. "I thought you were going to woo _The Bachelorette_ or something. But, man, getting married on TV? That's sick!"

"How are they planning to make those magic matches anyway?" Seth asked, incredulous.

I chuckled humorlessly. "I don't have the faintest idea. I zoned out right after the word 'married.' If you're interested, they handed me these papers." I motioned to the stack of crumbled sheets I'd unceremoniously dropped onto the couch next to me.

Seth leaned over and picked them up, reading with curiosity.

"You said one of the chicks was a sexologist? What the fuck's that supposed to mean? Did she look like a high-class hooker or something?" Emmett chortled.

"If so, neither you nor I can afford her services. All of them were dressed in the finest clothes." Whatever it was they did for a living, they had to be making a shit load of money.

Suddenly, Seth burst out laughing. "Oh, Ed, there's no way you'd have made it into that show, man. They want you to tell them where you see yourself in five years. I doubt they'll find a woman wanting to live here with you and Emmett while you spend most of your time drinking, having poker nights or playing video games. And here, how long was your longest relationship? I don't think six months will do."

Emmett immediately joined in. "I'm sure they're asking if you're a cat or a dog person. You should tell them how you killed that kitten by force-feeding her sand. I'm sure that's going to leave a winning impression." He guffawed loudly.

"Em, I was four back then, and I doubt that's a serious criteria." I tried to defend myself.

"It is," Seth objected. "It's question twenty-five."

Emmett had a hard time speaking through his bellowing laughter. "See, you can be glad the whole thing is so absolutely ridiculous we let you bail out. You didn't have the slightest chance of getting onto that show anyway."

Getting married was the farthest thing from my mind, and the thought of going through tedious interviews and questionnaires raised my hackles. Though the way they painted me as incapable of convincing the TV people of my eligibility, rubbed me the wrong way.

"If I set my mind to it, I could totally get into that show," I said with conviction, emptying my bottle.

"Ed, you're as much marriage material as Seth's a girl. Even you can't put on that good of an act." Emmett lifted his beer only to find it empty. Instead, he rose from his seat and grabbed a bottle of Johnny Walker that was left from a party, together with three glasses and set them on the table.

Shaking his head, Seth poured us all a generous amount. "I'm sorry, Edward, but I think Emmett's right. You don't stand a chance."

Lifting my glass of amber liquid, I swirled the content around a bit, musing. "What if I do? Of course, I won't get married. I'm not insane. But what if they cast me? What's it worth to you?"

Emmett scoffed. "I'm so sure you'll lose, you'll get my 'Stang if you actually make it."

Knowing how much he loved that car, I could see how confident he was about the bet.

"Seth, you in?" I asked.

"Sure," he agreed. "I bet my new sixty inch flat screen that you won't make it into that show."

Emmett knocked back his drink. "Now, we've covered the highly unlikely case that you win. What about the most probable scenario in which you don't? What's your wager?"

"I don't think I own anything either of you have much use for," I replied with a sense of relief.

"Oh, you sure don't," Emmett mused. "But I think you should bet something more … personal, anyway. How about a tattoo. We choose the design and placing — within certain reason, of course."

Considering I already had three tats, I wasn't afraid of the thing itself. I wouldn't put it past them, though, that I'd end up with their names on my ass cheeks. I was just trying to determine how sure I was of myself when Seth came up with a different idea.

"No, no, no, no, no! How about he has to go on a date with that chick from downstairs that has a crush on him? You know, the ugly one with the pimply face and greasy hair. And I'm not talking a movie here. Dinner, drinks and dancing — in public. Oh, and the girl deserves a goodnight kiss, of course."

Em and Seth both cracked up laughing while I felt my bile rise. That girl was really gross. I wasn't the typical womanizer with one girl on each finger, but I had certain standards, and _she_ definitely didn't meet any of them.

Exasperated, I ran my fingers through my unruly hair, contemplating my ability to play nice with the price exhibit of every haunted house, when Emmett jumped up from the couch, pointing his outstretched index finger at me with glee.

"That's it! He has to shave his head! Not only that, he has to go bald for a month if he doesn't get cast in that show! What do you say, Eddie Boy, do we have a deal?"

Dammit! Unerringly, they found my one weakness! They both knew I was kind of obsessed with my unruly, always-looking-freshly-fucked mop of weirdly-colored hair; and that made it the perfect incentive. Seth's flat screen was nice because it was bigger and had better sound than ours, but what I really wanted was Em's car — if only to goad him with it. With my hair at stake, though, the bet took on a whole new dimension. I was hard-pressed to chicken out, but then I'd have to admit I wasn't entirely sure of myself. That was definitely out of the question. So all I could do was put on my poker face and do the best I could to win this bet.

"Of course, we do. You can kiss your 'Stang goodbye already because she's going to be mine soon."

Em scoffed while Seth refilled our glasses. "Sure. Dream on, buddy, or should I say, _baldy?_ "

"You're laughing now, but you won't be once you have to hand over those keys."

We clinked our glasses together and drank to our newest bet.

Well, now I needed a _solid_ plan, because I definitely had to step up my game to win this one.

****TtK****

"So, Edward, tell me a bit about yourself," Dr. Cullen prompted during my first interview.

To get to this point, I'd had to fill out a twenty page questionnaire, turning myself inside out. I tried to stay as close to the truth as possible, so remembering my story wouldn't be too hard once the personal interview part came, but for every question about relationships and future plans I basically had to make up an answer I thought would further my case. It took me the whole damn Sunday to get through the one hundred and twenty questions. A few days later, I was contacted by the show's psychologist to set up an appointment.

"Well, uhm, what's there to tell? I'm Edward, as you know. I'm twenty-eight years old and work in IT here in Manhattan." That should cover the basics.

"Are you originally from New York, Edward?" the psychologist inquired.

"No, I'm from New Jersey, but I've always been leering across the bay at the Big Apple. I moved here for college and never went back." Since my father had taken me into the city for the first time when I was five, I'd known I wanted to live here.

Dr. Cullen smiled at me. "What is it you like about New York City?"

I didn't have to think long to have an honest answer to that. "There are a thousand little things I can't easily sum up. I've been in love with it since I was a kid. The energy, the sites, the character and the people. They're so unique." I could almost see the stupid smile on my face, thinking about the city as the only woman I'd ever been in love with and forever would be.

"Why did you choose to participate in this experiment?" he continued after a short pause.

There it finally was, the question I'd practiced to answer for days. I took a deep breath and summoned whatever acting skills I had, hoping they were enough.

"I'm approaching thirty, and I'm done with casual dating. I'm more than ready to settle down. Sure, I enjoy spending time with my friends, but most of them are paired up." That wasn't even a lie. I had three close friends. Seth was single — mostly — but Emmett had been with his girlfriend, Rosalie, for three years, and Jasper, my best friend from high school, had gotten married two years ago. Sadly, we'd drifted apart since then. Before I could dwell on that, I forced myself to continue my pre-written speech. "I'm the odd man out. But it's hard to find the right woman on an island housing 1.6 million people. I sure haven't so far. That's where you guys come in."

The content little smile on Dr. Cullen's face assured me I'd pretty much hit the bullseye.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

"I'd like to be married with a house in Brooklyn or Queens, a dog, one kid and another one on the way." I had to suppress a shudder at the thought, and instead, went for what was supposed to be a wistful smile.

The rest of the interview continued in the same pattern. Although sometimes I had to lie through my teeth, in the end, the psychologist appeared to be satisfied with my performance.

One down, three to go.

****TtK****

"Edward," Dr. Denali greeted me with a wide smile, "I'm happy to see you today. I hope you don't mind diving right in. How important is sexuality to you?"

 _What a way to start a conversation._ "Uhm, I'm a guy. I'd say it's pretty damn important." Running my hand through my hair nervously, I waited for the uncomfortable questions to continue.

"At least you're being honest," she said with a smirk. "Can you tell me a bit about your sexual history?"

 _Fuck! My mother could watch the show!_

A little panicked, I glanced over at the camera a few feet away from us. Dr. Denali's eyes followed mine, apparently knowing what I was thinking.

"It's okay, Edward," she tried to reassure me. "This won't be aired on TV. We'll only take very general parts of my interviews into the final cut of the show. Most of what we talk about is just for the sake of finding you the right match. I'm sure you wouldn't want a wife who has completely different likes and dislikes in the bedroom. Now, relax and just tell me a bit about your experiences."

Deciding I had to give her something if I wanted to win my bet, I plunged right in and stuck to the truth — mostly. "Okay. Here goes. I was kind of a geek in high school, so it took me until my first college party to lose my virginity. I've had a few girlfriends, a few one-night stands and a friend with benefits, but all things considered, I think I've had less partners than the average single guy my age." And of that I was sure.

"Sounds like it, yes," she agreed, then she straightened up in her seat. "When you're being intimate with a woman, are you rather the active or passive part?"

That was a hard one. I really liked it when my good friend and fuck buddy Vicky came off self-assured and a bit aggressive, but I also liked when I needed to put a little work into getting a girl to give it up.

"I like a confident woman who knows what she wants and isn't too shy to say so, but I like to feel in control as well. I guess it depends on the person and situation." That was the best I could give her. I was neither dominant nor submissive, and I didn't want my partner to be one of those, either. Not that it mattered since I was dropping out as soon as I'd won my bet.

Dr. Denali seemed satisfied with my answer, and the next thirty minutes passed slowly with similar, more or less uncomfortable questions and wet spots under my arms, but I made it through.

Two down, two to go.

****TtK****

My interview with the spiritual advisor was the one I was the most nervous about. Not being a very spiritual person, I had no idea how to play it. Would it further my chances to mime the devout Christian? But seeing I wasn't religious, playing that angle convincingly would be difficult.

Saying things as I saw them probably wouldn't work out in my favor, either. So I decided to take the middle ground, acting like the Christmas and Easter Christian my parents raised me to be; stating I believed in God but didn't need a certain church to live my faith. I was sure I'd be able to pull that off.

Sitting across from Peter Nichols in his office made me sweat bullets and feel surprisingly calm all at the same time. The guy exuded a certain serenity only a person completely at peace with himself could. Taking a few calming breaths, I waited for the questions to begin.

"Edward, it's nice to meet you in person. Your questionnaire was very interesting."

 _Interesting, huh? What's that supposed to mean?_

I didn't know what to say to that, so I waited for him to pose an actual question.

"Asked about your religious denomination, you wrote your parents are Lutherans. What does that mean?"

I cleared my throat and willed my leg to keep from bouncing nervously. "Well, I was christened and my parents took me to church on Easter and Christmas and a few Sundays in between, but when I got older, I stopped going."

"That's not unusual," he replied, nodding. "But why did you stop attending services?"

I pondered my answer for a moment, then said what I supposed would sound best. "It's not like I don't believe in God. I do, but I don't feel like I need a church to tell me how or what exactly to believe. I can pray at home if I feel the need to."

Somehow, Nichols seemed to be appeased by my answer as he scribbled something on the stack of papers in his lap.

"How important do you think religion is in a relationship? Could you, for example, imagine your wife to be Catholic, Jewish or Muslim?" He looked at me expectantly, implying the next answer was kind of crucial.

That was something I'd never thought about. I'd dated a Jewish girl once, but since she wasn't any more religious than I was, and we weren't really serious, it hadn't been a problem. I decided to go with the truth on that one.

"Huh, that's something that never occurred to me. I don't have a problem with people who have a different faith, as long as the cultural background is similar."

Again, he took some notes. "Now, what if your wife would ask you to go to church with her?"

 _Dammit, this is more difficult than I thought._

"I think, if it's really important to her, I'll go." That was my first outright lie today. I probably wouldn't.

"What about children, Edward? Would you have your children baptized?"

I knew there probably was no right answer as well as there was no wrong one, but I needed to stay consistent.

"If it were for me, I wouldn't, but if my wife feels the need to, I won't get in the way."

After a few more questions about my parents and a rendition of a typical Christmas at Casa Masen, Peter Nichols shook my hand, a smile on his face, and we parted ways.

Only one more, then I had to pray for my hair to remain.

****TtK****

The last hurdle was Dr. Esme Platt. She'd seemed nice enough during that informational meeting, but she totally shocked me when she called and told me we weren't supposed to meet at her office or whatever; that she'd visit me at home to see my natural habitat.

Although it was in Emmett's best interest to make me look as bad and ineligible as possible, he helped me in my herculean task of cleaning up our apartment, nonetheless. I pleaded with him, telling him even if I didn't get cast, that wouldn't mean parts of the interview wouldn't be aired anyway. He knew Rosalie would kill him if it looked like he was living in a pig sty for all the world to see, so he reluctantly started to pick up around the living room.

I was just done mopping the kitchen floor when Dr. Platt knocked on the door. The camera crew following her into our living room was a little unfamiliar and strange, and left me with an unsettled feeling, but I guessed I had to endure it. After all, if I was indeed willing to follow through with their show, I'd have a lens in my face for weeks, and I couldn't let anyone suspect that was the last thing I wanted.

I greeted the sociologist, who immediately asked me to call her "Esme," and led her over to the couch. Emmett, the coward, was hiding out in his bedroom as I entertained my guest.

"This is nice," Esme stated as she took a seat. "It has a clear masculine touch, but everything is very well kept. You're living here with a roommate, right?"

I poured her a glass of water from the bottle I'd placed on the table earlier. "Yeah, I live with my friend, Emmett. We bunked together in college and rented this place after graduation. He's working in graphic design."

Esme nodded a few times, then took out a folder which probably held my questionnaire or her notes on it.

"I need to get an idea of your background. So, tell me a bit about your parents and how you grew up." With an encouraging smile, she waited for me to talk about my family.

"Well, my mom's a piano teacher, and my dad works as a judicial officer for Family Court in Newark, New Jersey. They were high school sweethearts and got married between freshman and sophomore year of college. They both graduated and had me right after. They wanted more children but my mom couldn't have any more after me. They're still madly in love and keep pestering me about when I'll finally get married, settle down and give them grandchildren." After the exhausting interview with Nichols, it was refreshing to actually be able to tell the truth.

"So you grew up in an intact, loving, middle-class home."

"That about sums it up, yes."

We talked a bit more about my early years before she moved on to the present.

"I see a vast amount of multimedia equipment in this room. Are you a computer gamer, Edward?" she asked with obvious amusement.

Scratching the back of my neck, I contemplated an answer. "My friends and I play a lot, yes."

"What else do you do for fun?"

"I, um, I go to a gym once or twice a week, and I like to just hang out with my friends. Quiet stuff, mostly." _So much for the truth, but now comes the lie_. "But lately, it really feels like something's missing. You know, I see my friends with their girlfriends and feel lonely in a crowd of people."

Esme threw me a look full of sympathy, and I knew I had her right where I wanted her.

After a few more questions about my job and financial situation, I showed her around the apartment. She lingered in my room for a bit longer than I might have liked before she finally said goodbye and left me to the gnawing curse of having to wait for their decision.

Would I win a car or lose my hair? Only time could tell.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** So, what do you think? I get if you don't like this Edward much — for now — but I promise he's not all bad. Next chapter, you'll learn about his preparations for the wedding. Here's a little teaser:

… " _Mom, Dad, there's something I need to tell you." I looked up from my soup to find them both looking at me with different expressions. While my mother seemed to be excited for some reason, my father was rather apprehensive. I took a deep breath and started to break the news to them._

" _Well, I wanted to let you know that I'm getting married — in two weeks." …_

Will the Masens be happy? Shocked? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

Now, I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. CU in two weeks.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Best Laid Plans

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all of you, putting this story on alert, your favorite list, leaving a review or just reading. Your response overwhelmed me.

Those of you who've already read the OS will know most of what happens in this chapter, but it was completely rewritten, and I promise, from next chapter on, everything will be new.

Now, before we go see if Edward made it into the show, I need to thank **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl** for whipping my writing into shape. You're unbelievable.

Okay, now on to the chapter.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 2 – The Best Laid Plans …

Weeks went by, and I never heard from anyone involved in the casting / interview process for the show. No one ever said how long it would take, or if we would actually be informed if we weren't among the chosen ones who'd get to be paired up with strangers. Several times already, Em and Seth had asked if there was any news. So far, I'd been able to deflect their interest and save my beloved hair — for now. The question remained, though: How long would I be able to keep them calm until they'd want to claim their prize?

I was slowly losing hope, resigning myself to shaving my head and walking around like a balding middle-aged man, knowing it could only be a matter of days now before I'd have to forfeit.

Right in the middle of my gloomy thoughts, my cellphone started to buzz on my desk. Since I was working in a cubicle in the middle of a windowless room, underpaid and underappreciated, I had no qualms about taking private calls during office hours.

"Hello?" I greeted the unknown caller upon hitting the "Accept" button.

"Edward, how are you? This is Dr. Carlisle Cullen speaking," a friendly voice I couldn't place answered.

 _Dr. Cullen … Dr. Cullen? Oh right._ He was that psychologist I'd had my first interview with.

The realization stunned me into silence, knowing the moment of truth had finally come. Would I lose my hair or win Emmett's car? Seth's flat was a nice add-on, but what I really wanted was to laugh in their faces, telling them I'd done what I'd set my mind to, and collect my reward.

"Are you still there, Edward?" The psychologist's voice pulled me back. Apparently, he noticed I'd zoned out on him.

I shook my head to get back into the game. "Yeah, sure. I'm just surprised to hear from you." After all, two months had passed since the last interview with Dr. Platt.

Of course, with my hair at stake, I'd done everything I could to make them believe I wanted nothing more than for them to find me the perfect wife, lying through my teeth at times, but, to be honest, I hadn't thought they'd actually choose me. Maybe they hadn't, and he was merely calling to let me down easily. After all, they had to think me desperate to find a bride.

"Well, it took us some time to work through all the material we gathered, but we came to the conclusion that we found the perfect match for you. Would you be free later this afternoon to come to my office and talk to me?"

Dammit! I'd done it. _Em, I hope you enjoy the last hours with your 'Stang because, tonight, that baby's going t_ _o be MIN_ _E!_

"Are you still with me, Edward?" Carlisle asked, a little worry evident in his voice.

 _Am I? Huh._ What was I going to say? Should I meet with him? Of course, I wouldn't go through with that stupid show. That had never been my intention. Marrying a stranger who might turn out to look like Frankenstein's Bride but liked the same books and bands as me and shared my favorite color was a harebrained concept.

To be honest, I wanted to laugh in his face and ask him if he'd lost his marbles. He was a nice guy, though, and I didn't want to be an ass. But what would I say to him? _I'm not interested anymore? Thanks but no thanks? I don't need your help anymore because I found a bride on my own?_ Maybe this would be easier done in person.

"Of course, Carlisle. When and where?"

****TtK****

I followed the directions I'd been given, and at five o'clock sharp, I stepped into what had to be Dr. Cullen's office at NYU. There, on the couch, sat the blond man in his mid-forties I already knew from our earlier talk, but next to him was an unfamiliar dark-haired guy, roughly the same age, who was a few inches shorter than the psychologist. That one I couldn't remember having met before.

"Edward, great to see you again. This is Demetri Ivanov from the production company. He's here to talk the contract and other legal arrangements through with you. Demetri, this is Edward Masen, one of our lucky grooms-to-be."

I shook both men's hands and sat down. As I was preparing to tell them I wasn't going to be in their show, Mr. Ivanov pulled a contract out of his briefcase and placed it in front of me. To organize my thoughts, I started to leaf through it quickly. There were clauses about prenups, times to be cleared for filming, a few behavioral rules and the like. I halted my motions in the middle of the last page when the number _$50,000_ caught my eye. At first, I was sure it was a fee for breach of contract, which wouldn't be uncommon, I assumed. Upon closer inspection, though, I noticed the money was supposed to be a financial compensation for time I'd have to make for the filming of the show.

 _Fuck! That's a lot of money — and almost exactly the amount we'd need to launch our game._

Em, Seth and I had spent the last three years developing a video game. With all three of us being avid gamers and working in IT in one way or another, we were all quite opinionated on every game we came across. What started out as complaining and voicing every fault we found in existing games, over time became an abstract idea, which eventually turned into planning and programming a combined jump-and-run / strategy game for all major consoles.

After three years of concentrated effort, it was finally in the finishing stages. For several months now, we'd run from pillar to post to try to find someone willing to finance the whole endeavor, seeing we'd gain so much more than the relatively low investment. Banks weren't very forthcoming with loans for projects like ours nowadays, though. Since the whole financial crisis a few years ago, it had gotten that much more difficult to convince investors of loaning money out — and none of us had the funds to get it done on our own.

 _Dammit!_ Could I go through with this whole charade to make our dream come true? Was realizing our dream worth being married to someone for a few weeks? The prospect was really tempting.

****TtK****

After two hours of information about the details of the show and everything I'd be expected to do, they'd let me go with forty-eight hours for consideration.

"Em, your 'Stang is mine," I greeted darkly when I entered our shared apartment.

"You're shitting me!" a shocked-looking Emmett screamed as he peeked out of his room.

I raised my hand that was holding the papers, waving them in his face. "No, and I have the contract to prove it. Call Seth. He needs to come over ASAP. We gotta talk."

****TtK****

"Wait." Seth stopped me in my explanations. "They're expecting you to actually _marry_ someone you not only haven't met but don't even know her name? That's even crazier than it sounded when you first told us about the whole thing."

"Yes. If I agree to go along with it, I'll have to buy a tux, invite friends and family and meet my bride at the altar. We'll have a reception, spend the night at a hotel, then go on a honeymoon — all expenses paid. After we return, we'll have to move in together and live like the usual married couple — whatever the fuck that means." I'd probably zoned out on that part. "Anyway, after six weeks, we have to decide if we want to stay married or file for divorce. Four to twelve weeks later, I'll be happily single again _and_ fifty grand richer."

Emmett wrinkled his forehead in thought. "What about prior money and stuff?"

The guys from the production company had it all covered. "There will be a prenup, taking care neither of us has any rights to the other's possessions." Not that I had anything worth taking to begin with.

"And your friends and family have to play along?" Seth asked with a raised brow.

"No, they don't. But since the TV people seem to think they can actually found lasting relationships, they, of course, think I'd want the people close to me around for my nuptials." There was no doubt I didn't want that, but I knew I had to play along — at least for the six weeks.

Em took a sip from his beer. "We'll be on TV, then?"

"If you agree to help, then yes," I stated, matter-of-fact.

"Man, if you're willing to do that to get us the money, then there's no question. We have to make it as easy on you as possible." Seth looked at me with as much conviction as he could muster.

"Well, seems like our Ed is getting married." Emmett tried to work up some enthusiasm. "Does that mean we'll be having a bachelor party?"

I snorted. "That's not part of the show, but I don't see why not." Who wouldn't want to see a hot-as-fuck chick strip and give you a lap dance?

"Is sex part of the show?" All of a sudden, Seth seemed to get excited.

I ran my hand through my saved hair in contemplation. No one had said anything about that so far. "They want it to be a real marriage. So, if my bride's hot, I wouldn't say no."

And like that, the decision was made. I was getting married in four weeks. _Fuck!_

****TtK****

"Well, now that you've signed the contract, we'll go through a few things again," Demetri said, taking the papers from my sweaty hands. "The prenuptial agreement will be ready for you next week. You can take it to a lawyer of your choice, if you want, but I assure you, it's bulletproof. Since we will handle the divorce as well, if need be, we're careful to make that as simple as possible on all ends."

 _Thank God for small favors!_

"Here's a list of numbers and addresses for you. The first is the number of a doctor we work with. You're supposed to call him to get a full check-up. We wouldn't want to cause you any lasting damage or set a poor woman up for early widowhood. And, of course, we have to make sure you're not carrying any communicable diseases." He threw me a wink before he looked down to his schedule sheet again.

 _So they aren't ruling out sex either. Good to know!_

"Okay. Next address is for a place to buy your tux. It'll be charged to the company's account. Then there's a jeweler on there. Of course, you'll want to get your bride a ring, charged on the company account as well."

 _Of course I did — not._ But it seemed as though I didn't have much of a choice. Nodding agreeably, I let him continue with his list.

"You know, we taped your sessions with our experts during the casting, and you signed a consent slip so we can use whatever we want from those. Now, we'd like to do one or two additional interviews with you as you prepare for your wedding. Maybe we can accompany you on one of your shopping trips or something like that, or talk to your friends."

 _Hell, no!_ I'd give them the damn interviews, but the shopping trips would stay private. Those would be tedious enough without having to put up an act for the cameras.

"I'll think about it." That was all the answer he'd get for now.

"That's okay. Just give me a call to let me know what you decided so we can set something up." He scrolled through his papers again until he found what he was looking for. "Okay, after the wedding, there will be a camera team coming to watch you for one or two hours every day, and on top of that, you'll each get a hand-held camera so you can tape whatever seems important to you. You are required to give a statement of at least five minutes each day. There will also be a few tasks we'll ask you to complete."

That sounded doable. The six weeks would pass in a heartbeat — hopefully.

"If, at any point — now or even after the show is finished filming — you feel like you need help or to talk to someone, you can always call one of our experts."

For that, the four were listed with names, professions and numbers. I had to suppress the need to scoff. As if I'd ever be in need of a shrink.

"If you don't have any questions, we'll be seeing each other in three and a half weeks for your wedding. If there's anything else you need to discuss, my number's on the bottom of your sheet."

I folded up the paper, stuffed it in my back pocket and got the hell out of Dodge.

****TtK****

I had completed each of the tasks Demetri had assigned to me within the first week. After my appointment with the doctor, where I was pinched and prodded, I was glad to at least learn I was squeaky clean and healthy as a horse. It wasn't like I had any reason to suspect anything else, but which sexually active guy wasn't relieved to know for sure he didn't have crabs or herpes?

Next point on my list was buying a tux. Not having to mind prices, I was free to get whatever I wanted. I took both Em and Seth with me, but knowing they had as much fashion sense as blind people, I ended up giving the obviously gay sales clerk free range. In the end, I had to admit I looked pretty damn good in the dark-gray Armani suit with the silver vest underneath, so much so the Elton John wannabee was drooling all over me.

When that was achieved, I took Emmett ring shopping with me. I didn't have the faintest idea about jewelry and wasn't the least bit interested in it. Emmett, on the other hand, had been in a relationship for the past four years. Rosalie was a demanding diva who was very high-maintenance, so he had some experience with buying bling. The jeweler asked about materials, cuts, designs and the like, and Em answered for me. Again, money wasn't an issue — neither was the ring itself to me. The only question I answered — with a vehement "no" — was whether I wanted to wear a matching wedding band. That would definitely be too much. I wouldn't be caught dead with a big neon sign like that on my finger. I tried to be diplomatic when I turned the white-haired man down but left no doubt about my position on the matter.

In the end, I had a ring I wasn't sure I'd actually looked at before the jeweler stuck it in a box and put it in a bag. One more task accomplished.

Somewhere in between it all, I gave the two damn interviews I was obligated to do; stating how excited I was to finally meet my bride and how I couldn't wait to tie the knot. In all actuality, I couldn't wait, because the sooner the whole joke started, the sooner it would be over — and I could get my divorce.

****TtK****

I procrastinated as long as I could, but two weeks before the scheduled TV wedding, I had to make my way over the river to talk to my parents. Elizabeth and Edward Masen, Sr. had just celebrated their thirty-second wedding anniversary, and every time I visited, they let me know they were waiting for me to tell them I met the perfect girl and would finally settle down. Little did they know, I wasn't even actually considering ever having a family of my own.

"Oh, Edward. I can't believe we haven't seen you in two months," my mom greeted me while capturing me in a tight hug. "Ed, come on, our son is here."

My father, as always, emerged from his study and gave me a warm clap on the shoulder. "Edward, it's so good to see you."

Before I could really say anything, my mother ushered us into the dining room, where she'd already set the table for what I was sure was a home-cooked meal for at least a dozen people. Although I'd offered my help, she insisted on serving the food herself while my father asked me about Emmett, my job and how life was going in general.

As soon as my mom had taken a seat, I decided it was better to grab the bull by its horns and get it over with.

"Mom, Dad, there's something I need to tell you." I looked up from my soup to find them both looking at me with different expressions. While my mother seemed to be excited for some reason, my father was rather apprehensive. I took a deep breath and started to break the news to them.

"Well, I wanted to let you know that I'm getting married — in two weeks."

Releasing the rest of the air in my lungs in a nervous exhale, I braced myself for the onslaught of questions that would surely be coming.

My parents appeared to have a silent conversation before they started the cross examination.

"Edward, honey," my mom started carefully, "when I last asked, you didn't even have a girlfriend. How can you be getting married in two weeks when you didn't have a girlfriend a month ago?"

I didn't get a chance to answer as my dad chimed in. "Did you get someone pregnant? I've always told you you're too carefree about things like that. You have to make sure it's your child before you marry someone you hardly know."

Holding my hands up in a somewhat calming gesture, I managed to shut them up and make them look at me. It wouldn't be easy to convince them of the concept of an arranged marriage for the entire world to witness. Telling them it was all a deception on my part was out of the question, because, to them, the institution of marriage was sacred. So, I needed to feed them the same crappy lines I'd used to convince the team of "experts."

"Calm down, Dad. It's nothing like that. You know, it's hard to find the right woman to marry in this day and age, and in New York, it's even worse." I looked from my mother to my father to judge their reaction, and they both were openly curious.

So I continued, telling them exactly what the brochure from the informational event said about arranged marriages and their success, percentages and all. Then I went on talking about how they found me the perfect wife, and that I needed to be in their TV show to benefit from their matching system. When I was done, having laid all the facts on the table — well, all the facts I wanted them to know — I appealed to their sympathy and asked for their support.

"Okay, now you know everything. Will you please come to my wedding?" I looked at them expectantly, working hard to make sad, puppy-dog eyes.

My father was the first to find his voice again. "Edward, forgive me, but that sounds completely insane. You're willing to marry a woman you've never seen instead of trying to find someone you love?"

"I tried for years, Dad," I lied, sounding convincingly defeated to my ears. "I never met a girl I wanted that way. I thought a lot about this, and I want to give it a chance. I want what you two have, and I really think it's worth a try."

I could see my mother was close to breaking point, but my father still needed a final push.

"What if it doesn't work out?" he asked seriously.

Looking him straight in the eye, I delivered my last line. "I'll give it my all, because I want it to work. But if that's not enough, I'm protected. I can get out financially and legally unscathed. Please, Mom, Dad, I really want you there at my wedding."

My mother sobbed, then rose from her chair and wrapped me in her arms.

"Of course, we'll be there. You're our only child, and I wouldn't miss it for the world, cameras or not."

My father leaned back in his chair, eyeing me for a long moment before his shoulders dropped in resignation. "I can't say that I like the idea, but you're an adult and if that's your decision, we'll support you in it."

I felt a heavy weight being lifted from me, although there was a tiny bit of guilt nagging at me for playing my parents like that. I pushed it away, however, telling myself the end justified the means.

****TtK****

"So, can we still see each other or do you have to be all faithful and shit?" Vicky joked as we lay in my bed, naked and sated for the time being, two nights prior to my wedding day.

We'd been fuck-buddies for almost two years — not exclusive but pretty regular. She was a friend and fun to be around, had a smoking hot body with perfect tits and a nice round ass. She could drink me under the table, and did so frequently, didn't actually date much and enjoyed her life to the fullest. She was so much like me; there was no chance for us to ever be anything more. We had sex with no strings attached, and it was great — every time.

"No, Vic, I think we should lay low for the time being. Even though I'm not serious about the whole marriage thing, I still need to look as if I were; otherwise I'll have to pay a contractual fee instead of getting the funds the guys and I need."

She knew what I needed the money for, and we were close enough as friends that she would support me in this, wholeheartedly. That didn't mean she had to like my plan, though.

Right on cue, she showed a playful little pout. "Then I think we should make the best of tonight. Who knows when will be the next time you get some."

With a dark chuckle, she scooted down my body until I felt her hot little mouth around my already hard-again cock. _Dammit, I'll miss this._

****TtK****

Finally, the big day had arrived.

"You sure you want to go through with this?" Emmett, acting as my best man, asked as I was fighting to bind my neck tie.

Frowning in concentration, I did the last wind and stuck the end through. "Sure I am. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to get the money we need. I'd be stupid to run now."

To be honest, I'd had to talk myself off the ledge a few times over the last several days, convincing myself that everything would work out, and a starter marriage wouldn't ruin my life. It helped I wasn't only doing it for myself. I was sure, being in my shoes, the other two would do the same.

Emmett sighed. I knew there was something he wanted to say, but I didn't want to hear it, so I didn't ask and, instead, turned toward the mirror to check my appearance for the last time.

"How do I look?" I inquired, feigning enthusiasm.

"Your clothes are great, but your facial expression is that of a dead man walking."

Just then, we were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Edward, are you ready? We're supposed to start in five," a production assistant I'd seen a few times already asked, sticking his head into the room.

Taking a deep breath, I answered, "As ready as I'll ever be."

With Emmett by my side, I entered the room where the wedding ceremony was supposed to take place. About fifty people were sitting in rows of white, cloth-covered chairs. The people on the left side I knew. They were my friends and family, with my parents sitting front and center; matching apprehensive expressions on their faces. The right side of the nicely decorated aisle was occupied by people I'd never before seen in my life. They were all eyeing me speculatively; some with excited surprise, others with skepticism clear on their faces. There were also five cameras placed strategically around the room. That was something I had to get used to, and fast.

I took my designated spot in front of the altar with Emmett next to me, giving me all the support he could offer. I threw him a tight smile, which he returned, then focused my attention toward the double doors at the other end of the room. All of a sudden, the traditional wedding march started and the doors opened slowly, revealing first a giant Native-American man in his mid-twenties. On his arm was a petite woman. Her dark curls were pinned to the top of her head, and from the back a long veil emerged. Only a few curled strands fell freely around her heart-shaped face, whose paleness accentuated her mesmerizing dark eyes, which were framed by long, dark lashes.

As my gaze traveled downward, I noticed her shoulders were bare as the bodice of her dress was tight around her torso and down to her hips. From there, it flared out wider and flowed lightly to the floor. Around her waist, there was a twinkling belt making her look even slimmer than she already was and enhanced her perfect curves.

She was a vision. I was sure, had she been at the same bar or club as me, I'd have spotted her in a crowd of hundreds of people, because she would be the most beautiful woman in every room, and not in an artificial or forced way. She looked very natural, with only the smallest amount of makeup, but her beauty was mesmerizing.

As my eyes roamed up her delectable body again, I noticed her gaze was fixated to the floor; her full, rosy bottom lip caught between her teeth as she bit down hard on it.

The man who was supposed to walk her to me leaned down and whispered something into her ear, which made her look up at me and gasp as her eyes widened in shock for a second. The corners of her mouth began to twitch upward, and they finally started their slow approach toward the altar and … me.

My stomach was doing somersaults; my blood racing in my ears. This woman resembled nothing like Frankenstein's Bride. She was gorgeous — and going to be mine.

They halted in front of me, and Native Guy released her hand, kissed her cheek, then sat down. The music stopped and my blushing bride — blushing indeed — smiled at me nervously as the celebrant started to speak.

"Isabella Swan, meet your husband-to-be, Edward Masen. Edward, this is Isabella, your bride."

 _Oh. My. God. She's perfect. How in the hell will I ever divorce her?_ …

********TtK********

 **A/N:** How the hell indeed. Or will he? We'll see ;).

However, how did you like the Masens? I know, most of this chapters wasn't new to those of you who've read the OS, but I promise, next chapter will be completely new because we'll meet Bella.

Here's a little teaser:

… _I pondered that for a moment, trying to give the truest answer I could. "I like a guy to work for it, but I'm not too shy to tell him what makes me feel good. And I enjoy a man taking charge once in a while." I hoped to have gotten across that I didn't want some pushover or wi_ _mp in the bedroom. …_

I don't think it's hard to guess that this part is from Bella's interview with the sexologist. Do you remember Edward's answer to the same question? If so, are they a good match? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_. I post teasers, pics and a lot of other stuff there. Come and join us.

See you in two weeks.

 **A/N:** How the hell indeed. Or will he? We'll see ;).

However, how did you like the Masens? I know, most of this chapters wasn't new to those of you who've read the OS, but I promise, next chapter will be completely new because we'll meet Bella.

Here's a little teaser:

… _I pondered that for a moment, trying to give the truest answer I could. "I like a guy to work for it, but I'm not too shy to tell him what makes me feel good. And I enjoy a man taking charge once in a while." I hoped to have gotten across that I didn't want some pushover or wi_ _mp in the bedroom. …_

I don't think it's hard to guess that this part is from Bella's interview with the sexologist. Do you remember Edward's answer to the same question? If so, are they a good match? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_. I post teasers, pics and a lot of other stuff there. Come and join us.

See you in two weeks.


	3. Chapter 3 - A Girl Can Dream

**A/N:** Hi and welcome back! Thank you all for your support of this story. It's great to know you're all out there reading what my crazy mind concocts, lol. We made it through the parts of the story that have already been part of the contest entry. In this chapter, we'll finally meet Bella and learn her reasons for joining the show.

There wouldn't be much worth reading without the help of my wonderfully talented team. **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl** , I love you ladies and feel honored to be able to do this with you. I also want to mention three other great ladies who helped me with their knowledge about New York City. **2oldf4fanfic** , **ceceprincess1217** and **theresa zhao** , thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions and putting up with my quite particular ideas.

Now, let's see what Bella's been up to. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 3 – A Girl Can Dream

~Bella~

"What would you say are the reasons your past relationships failed?"

 _Dammit, this questionnaire has some stupid questions._

The truth was, most guys were idiots who were afraid of commitment, but I thought it would make me sound like a bitter hag if I actually wrote that down. In my case, past boyfriends either moved on to their next prey, couldn't handle my work hours — or that I had a job at all — or hated that I had a healthy amount of ambition on top. It intimidated them.

I'd come to New York after graduating from high school to study at a renowned culinary institute. I'd worked my way up from line chef, at a big restaurant, to sous chef at the same establishment, then became the chef of a small but prosperous Italian place. Sure, jobs in gastronomy weren't nine-to-five, but neither were nurse or flight attendant, yet men obviously favored those types of women. What was wrong with being a chef? And here my Granny Swan always told me the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. One of many lies or misconceptions, as it turned out.

I focused back on my laptop screen, staring at the blank space I needed to fill with my answer, when the door to my room suddenly flew open. A blur of russet and black barged in.

"Bells, I need your honest opinion and now!" Jacob, my gay best friend and roommate, exclaimed as he did a three-sixty turn in front of me. "This is what I was planning to wear on my date with Mike tonight. Now I'm not sure if my ass looks fat in these jeans."

I had to bite back my laughter at the totally insane thought. Jake worked as a trainer at a gym in Midtown and was nothing but muscle and sinew. I was hard-pressed to find one ounce of fat anywhere on him.

I'd known Jacob Black since we were in diapers. We'd gone through thick and thin together back in Forks, where neither of us ever felt like we fit in. He helped me through my awkward adolescence when my body resembled that of a gangly boy for far too long, and I was there for him, holding his hand, when he was finally ready to admit to himself and the world he liked boys much more than he did girls.

We were each other's dates to proms and kissed one another at New Year's, and when I decided to leave our hole-in-the-wall hometown, he didn't hesitate to pack his stuff and jump on my flight. We'd been living together ever since, but I had a feeling that, if things between him and his long-term boyfriend, Mike, got any more serious, I'd become more of a third wheel than I already was, and sooner or later, would have to move out. That was one of the reasons why I jumped at the opportunity offered by the TV show.

"Hey, earth to Bella! Are you with me? Would you please stop staring off into space and look at my ass now?" Jake whined, wiggling his backside at me. I giggled at his antics.

"Jake, you're hard as steel. There's not the least bit of fat on you. You look as hot as always. If I think about it, maybe I should make sure I'm not home when you return from your night out, otherwise I'm sure I'll get an earful of things I so don't want to hear ever again."

I made a mock-disgusted face as Jake plopped down next to me on my bed, wrapping me in his strong arms.

"Oh Bells, you always say the nicest things. And for that, I promise I'll try to keep it down." He winked at me, then let his eyes roam over the bed, landing on my laptop before I had a chance to shut it.

Regardless, I reached over and started to fold it closed when his large hand covered mine and stopped me.

"What's this, Bella?" he asked, obviously curious about what he was seeing. "You're not signing up for another dating site, are you? Haven't you gone on enough blind dates with Prince Charmings who turned into frogs right in front of your eyes?" His expression was an interesting mixture of sympathy and amusement, considering he'd been privy to the aftermath of too many disastrous first dates with guys I met on dating platforms — or otherwise.

I bit my lip, unsure of his reaction if I told him the truth, but I didn't want to lie to him, either. I had close girlfriends, too, but no one knew me as well as Jacob did — and no one was as protective of me.

"It's not a dating site," I said, still searching for the right words to explain.

Jake's brows furrowed. "Then, what is this? It sure looks like one of those. But, hey, what kind of a weird question is this?" He pointed to the one I'd been pondering the answer to for the past half hour.

I took a deep breath as I started to confess. "Jake, you remember that ad for a TV show you made fun of a few weeks back?"

He nodded slowly, obviously not understanding what I was getting at.

"I might have sent in an application." Again, I caught my lip between my teeth, my nerves getting the better of me.

Understanding dawned on his face. "So you're going to be the next Bachelorette, or what?"

"Not really." My hands were wringing in my lap as I worked up the courage to tell him what I was getting myself into. In a rush of released air, I mumbled, "I'm going to get married."

"You're going to do _WHAT_?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

I knew it would be a hard sell to convince him of my plan. I totally agreed that the idea sounded crazy at first, but the psychologist explaining the concept made very valid points as to why it all made sense.

"I'm going to answer this set of about a hundred questions. If they like my answers, I'll have to do interviews with four experts who will try to pair me up with the perfect match … and that man I'll meet at the altar for the first time."

I glimpsed up at Jake's red face. His fiery eyes were boring into mine in shock. "That's just … insane," he stated, gaping at me.

"That's what I thought, too. But let me explain, okay?" He looked ready to pounce and have me admitted to a mental hospital for losing my mind, but my pleading eyes made him nod reluctantly. "There's this study or something that says that arranged marriages last longer than most traditional dating relationships. It has something to do with the level of commitment; as if you're willing to put in a great deal more effort because it's less complicated to walk away from a relationship than ending a marriage."

Looking at him expectantly, I waited for his response. He huffed a few times, glancing back and forth between my face and my hands.

"In a weird way, that somehow makes sense. But, Bells, why would you do that? It sounds like something someone desperate would consider." He took my hands in his, lightly stroking the backs with his thumbs. "You're the most beautiful woman I know. You're sweet, loving and strong and funny as fuck. You could have any guy you want. Why would you allow a bunch of strangers to decide who you're getting married to?"

His compliments were nice, but they would've meant a lot more if he were actually into women.

"Jake, I _am_ desperate. I can't even remember the last time I had more than two dates with the same guy. Hell, I can't remember my last orgasm that wasn't self-induced. I want what you and Mike have. If this is the chance to get it, then I'm in. And, if it doesn't work, they've made it simple enough to get out of it."

He was obviously torn between feeling sorry for flaunting his happy relationship in front of me every day and wanting to still talk me out of my plan.

"You're only twenty-six. It's not like your biological clock is ticking or something. Why are you in such a hurry?" His question sounded pleading, and I got it. I couldn't say how I'd have reacted if the tables were turned, but I was convinced I was doing the right thing.

"Maybe my clock isn't ticking yet, but I'm lonely and done dating weirdos and idiots. I want something real." Most of my girlfriends were completely fine with being single and taking advantage of being young and free, but I was done playing the dating game.

"I don't want you married to some asshole," he threw in after a long, contemplative pause. "What if you don't like the guy?"

I smiled at him, remembering what that Dr. Cullen had told us. "No one can give any guarantees that it'll work out. But they don't get people married for shits and giggles. They'll only go through with it if they're sure the marriage has a chance to last past the six weeks of the show. They came up with this system to match up people, and I trust them. I think it's worth the try. If worse comes to worst, I'll have a starter marriage in my CV."

Jake huffed a few times, while gazing down at our joined hands, before he looked up at me. "You really want this, huh?"

A brilliant smile broke out on my face at the realization that my best friend in the world would have my back in this asinine endeavor.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I cheered as I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close.

"Oh, Bells, you know I'll always be there for you, even if this is the dumbest thing you've ever come up with. I really do hope it'll work out for you."

We stayed in our embrace until the sound of the front door opening and closing again made us pull apart.

"Now go and kiss your boyfriend hello. I have to get these questions answered so I can score myself a husband."

****TtK****

"Hello, Isabella," Dr. Cullen greeted me, but I corrected him before he could continue.

"It's Bella, please."

He smiled benignly, insisting I call him Carlisle, then he began the actual interview.

"So, _Bella_ , why don't we start with you telling me a little bit about yourself?"

I tried to ignore the two cameras in the room and dove into an introduction. "Well, I'm Bella — obviously." I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity. "I'm twenty-six and from a small town in the Pacific Northwest. I'm a chef and hope to — someday — have my own restaurant."

I exhaled slowly, calming down a bit, now that I realized this interview thing wasn't too bad.

"What made you move all the way across the country to New York, then?" Carlisle inquired after taking some notes.

"Small town life was never for me." I shrugged. "I've always loved cooking. I spent hours and hours in the kitchen with my stepmother, cooking everything from Native American recipes to French haute cuisine. From the moment I knew I wanted to be a chef, I'd set my eye on the Big Apple, considering it has the best culinary schools in the country. The day I got my acceptance letter was the best day of my life."

I waited for Carlisle to finish writing something down. "And you stayed after graduating."

"I did. From the first day, I totally fell in love with the city. The people, the energy, and last but not least, the culinary scene don't compare to any other place in the US." I knew it was cliché, but I couldn't stop gushing about my adopted city.

Dr. Cullen looked something up in his folder, then smiled at me again. "So you'd want to stay in the city and raise a family here?"

I loved living in Manhattan but was aware it wasn't the best place to live with small children. "I'd stay in New York, but I think a house in Brooklyn or Queens is more fitting for a family than an apartment in Manhattan."

Carlisle nodded a few times, then changed the subject. "What made you decide to take a chance on our experiment?"

 _Okay, here goes nothing._ "I haven't had much luck dating. I had a few relationships, but they never worked out in the long run. I've dated a lot casually, but very few attempts ever extended past second date stage. To me, it feels like most men are afraid of commitment. Now, that shouldn't be a problem here, right?" I laughed and Carlisle chuckled in response.

"It'd better not." He leafed through what I was sure was my printed-out questionnaire. "So, you're saying commitment issues are the reason your past relationships failed, seeing the reply you gave earlier was a bit cryptic."

"I'd say it's a mixture of commitment issues, my sometimes crazy work hours and the general problem men have with a woman who loves her job and is committed to it."

"I guess that means we should look out for a man with a healthy dose of self-esteem who doesn't go to bed at ten, then," Carlisle replied with a smirk.

****TtK****

After the interview with the psychologist, I felt pretty confident. Unfortunately, said confidence waned when I realized that, next up, I'd have to talk about my sex life.

"We'd best start with you telling me a few general facts about your sexual history." Irina Denali launched right into the interrogation as soon as the greetings were taking care of.

Knowing what the topic of this interview would be, I was certainly more aware of the cameras and people in the room than I was during my talk with Carlisle. Obviously sensing my apprehension to be forthcoming, Irina assured me nothing overly personal or incriminating I said in our session would make it into the final cut of the show. That knowledge at least made it a bit easier to open up.

"I've never been quick to jump into anything. My first kiss was at age fifteen. Since I'm from a small town and there weren't any boys around I was interested in, it took me until freshman year of college to go past second base with a guy. I've been in a few relationships, but not too many, and I'm not into casual sex. Been there, tried that. I need a connection to a man to really open up and enjoy intimacy." I exhaled audibly after getting that off my chest.

Irina smiled widely at me. "You seem to know what you want and don't bend to pressure or disappointment. That's great. Now, would you describe yourself as rather active or passive in terms of sexual encounters?"

I pondered that for a moment, trying to give the truest answer I could. "I like a guy to work for it, but I'm not too shy to tell him what makes me feel good. And I enjoy a man taking charge once in a while." I hoped to have gotten across that I didn't want some pushover or wimp in the bedroom.

****TtK****

Considering I wasn't too religious, the looming interview with Peter Nichols made me a bit uncomfortable, as if I were about to be quizzed without having studied the subject. It helped that the spiritual advisor greeted me with a wide smile and a warm hand shake.

"First of all, I want you to understand that there are no wrong answers," he began, taking away most of my unease. "No one's judging. We simply need to know about your religious background and beliefs to find you a husband with similar preferences. With that being said, you answered the question about your religious denomination; writing you were baptized Lutheran. I take it you're not actively participating in the Lutheran church."

His encouraging smile made me swallow my uncertainty and answer the question. "No, I'm not. My father's family is Lutheran, and my parents got married in church. So it was a given I would be baptized. When I was little, my dad took me to services on Christmas and sometimes on Easter, but that was a long time ago. I don't think he's a practicing Lutheran anymore. My mom, on the other hand, has gone through every faith and belief imaginable. After the divorce, it seemed she had to find herself. She was close to actually converting to Judaism when she met my stepfather and lost some of her flakiness. So, it seems as though I'm a bit of everything and nothing all at once." I grinned, remembering how funny, but at the same time tiring, it was to follow Renée around on her journey to self-discovery.

"That sounds like your childhood was anything but boring," Peter mused, forming his next question. "Do you think it would be a problem for you if your partner were actively practicing whatever it is he believes in?"

That had me thinking for a minute. As much as I wanted to say it wouldn't matter to me, it wouldn't be true. "Well, it's not that I'm not open-minded or anything, but I think if my husband were very religious, it probably wouldn't work out. I could live with accompanying him to his church or temple or whatever of choice every once in a while, and I could see my children being baptized, circumcised or initiated into whatever religion because it's their father's tradition, but I don't think a really religious person can be happy with someone who doesn't share his beliefs. Don't get me wrong, I do believe in a God, but I don't care if it's a he or she or if He's called Allah, Jehovah or Buddha. I pray to a higher power if I feel the need to, but I can't fully identify with a church. Does that make any sense?" I asked with a furrowed brow.

Nichols chuckled with amusement. "Oh Bella, it not only makes sense, but you answered most of my questions in one go."

Oh, hey, maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

****TtK****

Last but not least, I nervously awaited Dr. Platt's arrival at our apartment. I'd been a little surprised to hear she'd come here, but I had nothing to hide, and Jake was anxious to finally meet at least one of the cupids who were "marrying me off," as he liked to call it. Naturally, he was the one greeting the attractive thirty-something sociologist at the door when the bell rang.

"Hello, Dr. Platt. It's nice to meet you. I'm Jacob, Bella's roommate," he greeted her. His voice adopted the same flirtatious tone he used with all females — regardless of age or marital status —and which made them swoon. It threw most people off to his real sexual orientation.

"Esme, please," she answered with an equally friendly smile. She let her gaze wander past Jake and found me standing in the middle of the living room. "Bella, you have to tell me why you're having us find you a husband when you have such a fine specimen of a man right here in your home."

I giggled, knowing she'd stepped into the same trap as most women. "Because, unfortunately, that _fine specimen_ is batting for the other team."

Right on cue, Mike came barreling out of their joined bedroom. "Jake, baby, we gotta go. We're late for our reservation …" He trailed off when he noticed the camera crew standing just inside the front door. His mouth twitched self-consciously as he came to a halt next to his boyfriend.

Jacob slung his arm around Mike's waist, pulling him close. "Esme, this is my other half, Mike. We'd love to stay and protect our sweet little Bella from the big bad experts, but as you heard, we have to be somewhere. It was nice meeting you." He turned to me, waving goodbye. "Bells, we'll talk later. Bye."

With that, he hustled a still-stunned Mike through the door and out into the hall.

"Seems like it never gets dull around here." Esme chuckled as she took the seat I offered her on the couch.

I poured her a glass of water before answering, "Rarely so."

"Tell me," Esme started the interview right after taking a sip, "how come you're living with a gay couple?"

Crossing my legs, I leaned back. "I've known Jacob all my life. We're both from the same podunk town in Washington where our fathers have been best friends since kindergarten. We've always been inseparable whenever I was with my dad. Jacob is the brother I never had. No one knows me the way he does. When I decided to apply for culinary school in New York, he also sent applications to colleges out here. We've been living together ever since. Mike has been a later addition to the mix, but it works fine, only that I very much envy what they have." The last words were spoken quietly and reverently.

"So, you grew up in a small town?" Esme asked for clarification.

"Yes, mostly. My parents got divorced when I was four, but they've stayed close friends until this day. My mom moved around a bit, and for a while, I followed her, but at some point, living with my dad just made more sense because it meant a steadier life for me. Both of them got married again. My dad has been with his second wife for fifteen years and my mom's been remarried for ten." Although I came from what many people would call a broken home, I still had great role models for committed and loving relationships."

Esme scribbled something on her paper. "Is your mother living in Washington, too?"

"No," I replied. "Every one of her moves took her farther away from the Pacific Northwest. We were living in Phoenix when I decided to move in with my dad permanently, and now she and her husband, Phil, live in Florida."

Nodding, Esme took a sip from her glass. "Do you get along with your stepparents?"

I didn't even have to think about that. "I love all four of my parents, step or biological. They're matched up perfectly now."

"Just so I get a better picture, what do your parents do for a living?"

"My dad's Chief of Police and his wife is a preschool teacher. My mom has a degree in Arts from community college, but has worked as everything and nothing, and my stepdad is a coach for a minor league baseball team."

Again, Esme took notes of everything I'd said, then took a long look around the room, pausing on the large set of shelves across from her. "Are those books yours or the guys'?"

"They're mine. I love reading in my spare time. But I also like to watch movies." I pointed to my right at several shelf boards stacked with DVDs. "Half of that collection is mine. Many of the chick flicks are Mike's, though." I laughed, remembering Jake's reaction when Mike's collection moved in.

Although a lot of things had changed around here since we became three instead of two, Mike was the best thing that ever happened to Jake. They were perfect for each other.

And while the odds were totally stacked against me, I was hoping the group of experts I'd talked to over the past week would find me that kind of _perfect_ match.

 _A girl can dream, right?_

********TtK********

 **A/N:** So, how do you like our Bella? She's a woman who knows what she wants. Now, will this work well with our cocky Edward or are they bound to clash at the first opportunity?

We're going to stay with Bella for a bit longer. Here's a preview for chapter 4:

… " _Jake, you're my best friend, and no one knows me the way you do. Will you walk me down the aisle?" …_

Why won't Charlie be giving her away? Or Phil? Any ideas? Tell me here or on Facebook in my group Payton79's Fanfiction.

See you in two weeks.


	4. Chapter 4 - Announcements

**A/N:** Hi! Thanks for reviewing, following or just being back for chapter 4. I'm glad you all seemed to like Bella, and that's good because we'll stay with her for the next two chapters.

I have to make one thing clear here: this story was _inspired_ by Married At First Sight, but I'm not following the stories of the show, nor do I know the first thing about how a reality TV show is filmed. This is all a figment of my imagination.

Many thanks go out to my partners in crime, **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl**. This wouldn't be any fun without the three of you.

Now, let's see if Bella gets cast ;). See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married At First Sight

******TtK*******

Chapter 4 – Announcements

~Bella~

Seven weeks had passed since my interview with Esme, and I hadn't heard a word from anyone involved with the TV show. There hadn't been any information as to how long the selection process would take, but I was slowly losing hope.

Jake and, by proxy, Mike were still the only people who knew about the casting I had participated in. Knowing my girlfriends would have a shit fit, I'd decided it was better to let sleeping dogs lie. Maybe the need to tell them about the show would never arise if the experts weren't able to find me a match, or considered me otherwise unfit.

As usual, my close-knit group of friends tried to set me up with every Tom, Dick or Harry they met at work, the supermarket or who delivered their pizza, and they weren't interested in for themselves. However, I declined; still hoping against hope I'd be getting married soon. My friends insisted I was in desperate need of getting laid, and I knew saving myself for some imaginary future husband didn't make sense, but casual sex had never been my thing. So it wasn't difficult to pass up on those opportunities.

I was in the locker room of our local gym with Tanya, Jessica and Angela, getting ready for our weekly Wednesday yoga class. The three were my closest friends besides Jacob, and we tried to spend as much time together as our stressful jobs and other circumstances allowed.

Tanya was a successful PR agent who'd paid her way through college by modeling underwear. Her blonde locks and killer curves were a guy magnet, and made everyone around her feel inadequate. Inside her chest, though, she had a heart of gold for her friends. She was a cynic who didn't believe in relationships other than to secure the source of her next several orgasms, so we weren't surprised to seldom see her with the same man twice; if she ever brought a date at all.

Jessica, PA to an eccentric gallery manager, was the total opposite. Not only were her curls dark and her demeanor lively and a bit child-like, but she was the furthest thing from a cynic. She was constantly in love with one man or another, planning weddings in her head every time, only to find herself dumped after a few weeks. Still, she was all-in every time she started a new relationship — which was, unsurprisingly, quite often. I doubted she'd been single for more than a couple months total in her adult life.

Last but not least, Angela towered over the rest of us with her lean six foot one frame and appeared rather plain to most eyes with her pin-straight, dark-brown hair and brown eyes, which were framed by flashy glasses. In contrast to Tan, Jess and me, Ange had been in a relationship with her college sweetheart, Ben, for six years. She was unpretentious, realistic and forthright to the point of sometimes being blunt. This probably was an asset in her profession, since she was working her way to becoming partner in the law firm she was employed at.

"Dave says Andrew's the nicest guy he's ever met, and from the one time I've seen him across the parking lot, I think he's really good-looking." Jess was rambling about the newest guy she was trying to send me on a blind-date with — as it seemed, he was a friend of her current boyfriend's.

I prepared to turn her down when I felt my phone vibrate in my hand, as I was about to put it into my locker. Taking a glance at the screen, I was surprised to see an unfamiliar number. For a moment, I debated internally whether to let it go to voice mail but decided to take the call.

Motioning toward the hall, I stepped out to escape the chatter of the locker room.

"Hello?" I greeted when I put the phone to my ear.

"Am I talking to Bella Swan?" a friendly, female voice answered.

I continued on to a quiet corner. "Yes, this is she."

"Hi," the woman on the other end continued animatedly. "This is Esme Platt speaking. Bella, I have great news. We found you a husband."

In an instant, my heart was in my throat, beating wildly with a mixture of anxiety and excitement, making it impossible for me to speak.

"Bella, are you okay?" Esme's worried voice came through the speaker.

I tried to swallow the lump, only partly able to do so. "Yeah, I'm fine," I more or less croaked out.

"I can hear that." A warm chuckle made me lose a bit of my nervousness. "Bella, would you be able to meet with me and someone from the production company later to go over some of the details?"

"Sure," I agreed, then scribbled the address and time on a scrap of paper.

 _Shit! This is actually happening!_

****TtK****

I had excused myself from the yoga class so I had time to go home and change for the big meeting. Since it was my one day off for the next six days, I couldn't postpone the talk to Esme and was glad she could accommodate me later in the afternoon.

My palms were sweaty and my knees were weak when I knocked on the door to Dr. Platt's office at Columbia University. She asked me to come in after only a few seconds, and I entered, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"Bella, it's so good to see you again. Come on in." She welcomed me with a warm handshake, then steered me over to a seating area where a dark-haired man in khakis and a black shirt was waiting for us. "Let me introduce you to Demetri Ivanov from the production company. He's here to go through the contract with you."

I mumbled a quick, "Hello, nice to meet you," then shook his hand and sat down across from him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too. So, before I start explaining anything, here's the paperwork." He handed me a folder containing about ten pages, and I took it with unsteady hands. "You can read this later at home or have it checked by your lawyer. I can assure you, it's a standard contract for reality TV shows. Of course, there are some additions in relation to the marriage and precautions for a possible divorce. The basics were already explained in the material you received at the informational meeting, and the rest is in here. The only catch is you have to sign the contract within the next forty-eight hours, otherwise we can't proceed with the preparations."

Okay, that was soon, but since this was what I'd been hoping for, I only nodded.

"Just so you can plan ahead as well, the wedding will be four weeks from Friday, and after that, you need a week off from work for the honeymoon. When you return, you and your husband will move in together and go about your normal routines with work, hobbies and friends. There will be designated camera times and required statements every day. On top of that, we'll give you a few assignments every now and then."

I was still too nervous to ask any questions, but made mental notes of everything he told me.

"Now, about the wedding, you can invite whomever you want but, if possible, not more than fifty people. We'd love to see your parents there, but that's up to you. However, it would be nice if you had someone to walk you down the aisle."

 _Fuck! I totally repressed thinking about telling Charlie!_

"I'll see what I can do," I replied noncommittally.

Demetri nodded and smiled. "I think that's enough for today. We should set up a date for Friday to sign the papers and go through the schedule for the next four weeks, if that's all right with you."

In a daze, I made an appointment for Friday before work and was glad the meeting was adjourned. When Esme led me to the door, she touched my shoulder lightly, telling me I could call her anytime I needed someone to talk to about the whole project and handed me her business card.

 _Wow! I'm getting married!_

****TtK****

I was sitting in the dark living room, letting my thoughts run away with me, when Jake returned from his late shift at the gym. The light that hit my eyes when he flicked the switch almost blinded me.

"Bells, what are you doing here, sitting in the dark?" he wondered crossing the room in quick strides to sit on the couch next to me. "What's that?" He pointed to the contract in my lap.

Sighing, I flipped it over so he could read the title of the document. "I got a call today. I'm getting married in a little over four weeks." Nervously, my gaze wandered up to look at my best friend, afraid of what I'd find.

His face scrunched up with irritation and worry at the same time. "Dammit! I was hoping nothing would come of those stupid interviews." He ran his hand through his short, black hair as he met my eyes. "I guess it's useless to try to talk you out of it. So, what's happening now?"

A smile made my lips curl up involuntarily at the realization that Jake was on my side, even though he didn't fully agree with my plans.

"Well, I have two days to sign the contract, so I'll have to call Angela tomorrow to have her take a look and make sure everything's kosher. I'll meet with the producer again on Friday, and he'll give me the schedule for the next four weeks." I told Jake about the wedding, honeymoon and the moving in with my future husband, which made his expression turn regretful.

"You're going to move out?" he asked sadly.

I smiled at him, but there were tears in my eyes. "Jake, you and Mike need your space. I know you'd never ask me to move out, and neither would Mike, but I think it's time for you and me to start living our own lives." A tear escaped and ran down my cheek. I lifted my hand and wiped it away. "Even if we won't be living together anymore, we'll always stay best friends."

I hadn't finished the sentence when Jake wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug. "Bells, you know I love you like no one else. You need to know that you can always come back and live with us. This will always be your home."

Jake and I cried in each other's arms like a bunch of little girls, before he finally started to show a bit of excitement at the thought of being able to have uninhibited sex and naked Sundays with his boyfriend. I was glad he was able to see the positive in all this. I only hoped things would work out for all of us.

****TtK****

The next day, I met Angela for lunch at a deli close to her office building. I'd made up a reason to convince her and planned to introduce the topic of my wedding gradually during the meal. We made some idle chit chat until she cut to the chase when our sandwiches arrived.

"So, Bella, I think you've done enough beating about the bush. You're nervous and fidgety. Come on, what's up? This isn't merely a friendly lunch, is it? What do you need a lawyer for?" Her sixth sense for bullshit, which made her one of the best up-and-coming attorneys in the city, had looked through my feeble diversion tactics in no time.

Without a word, I reached for my purse, pulled out the contract and placed it on the table right next to her plate. Angela's eyes gleamed with anticipation as she looked down, her brow rising skeptically when she read the first lines of the document.

"Bella, are you shitting me here?" Her gaze never left the papers in front of her as she sped through the first page in record time. "You really want to do this? It's serious business. That marriage will be legal. I hope you know that."

I didn't reply, since she didn't seem to expect an answer at that point. She was quick and efficient as her trained eyes danced over the lines filled with legal terms. Some of the passages didn't make the least bit of sense to me. Even more reason to have the only lawyer I trusted check it.

After about ten minutes, Angela looked up, her worried eyes meeting mine with the knowledge of what I was getting myself into.

"You want to sign this?" she asked, concern lacing her tone.

I nodded. "Yeah. If this is what I have to do, I will."

For the next half hour, I told her about the ad for the show, the informational meeting, the questionnaire, the interviews and everything else. Angela was surprised, but the longer I spoke, the more her shock waned in favor of some sort of understanding.

"Well, that all kind of makes sense in a strange and convoluted way, but Bella, why would _you_ want to do this? It's not as though you're lacking male attention or anything. Whenever we go out, guys are flocking around you."

I took a deep breath, knowing I almost had her but needed to make her understand. "Ange, I don't want to be alone anymore. I'm no Jess who's head over heels for every guy she meets and happy with that. Nor am I like Tan who's totally content with regular one-night stands. I want what you have with Ben or what Jake and Mike have together. I want someone who belongs to me and only me. And I want to belong to him."

Angela huffed, apparently half convinced. "But can't you find that someone by yourself? And without a camera in your face, recording your every action and reaction?"

"If there was a way around the reality TV thing I'd happily ditch that part, but there isn't. Ange, you've been with Ben since when, sophomore year?" She nodded in confirmation. "You haven't gone on date after date after date for years, only to be told that the men will call you and then don't. You didn't have to go through dozens of nights that ended with a creep trying to get into your pants, even though there's zero chemistry between you. And you didn't have to suffer through the handful of guys you actually liked ditching you because your work hours are inconvenient, and you aren't willing to quit your job for the faint chance of a future with them." I took a deep breath, bracing me for my final argument. "I really, really want to try this because, I can't tell you why, but it feels right."

I could see she was losing steam and almost supported my decision. "Is Jake on board with this?" She probably hoped he'd be the one to talk me out of it.

"He understands and won't stand in my way."

The right side of her mouth curled up into a wry smile. "Then I won't either. If you're sure you want to do this, you can sign that contract. There are no loopholes or anything. It's a standard entertainment industry contract for a reality show, plus the whole marriage component, which is pretty bulletproof, I might add. If you want out of that marriage after the allotted time, nothing can keep you, and you can simply go back to your normal life. No strings attached."

I rose from my chair and threw my arms around my friend's neck. "Thank you so much, Ange. You're the best!"

"Sure, sure," she mumbled. "Dammit, I wish I could join you and the girls for drinks tomorrow night and see their reaction. I bet Tan will have a field day, but unfortunately, we'll be in the Hamptons with Ben's parents."

Yeah, Friday night would certainly prove to be interesting.

****TtK****

The meeting with Demetri went over without a hitch. I handed him the signed contract, and he went through his schedule with me. He told me to have a doctor's check-up, where to buy my dress and have my hair and make-up done, and when to be where for the actual wedding. The prenup would be sent to me in a few days so I could have it checked by Ange, and that was it.

I had a visible spring in my step when I showed up for work that afternoon, starting to look forward to what lay ahead.

****TtK****

I met with Tanya and Jessica later that night at a new and hip bar downtown after my shift at the restaurant had ended. I knew I had to tell them about my plans but had to admit I was kind of nervous about their reaction, so finding them in a good mood after a few rounds of mojitos worked in my favor.

Jessica was telling Tanya about whatever _totally_ romantic thing her current boyfriend had done for her, which made Tanya roll her eyes just as I joined them at their table.

"Hi, girls," I greeted them with a hug each.

"Bella, finally. My ears were starting to bleed," Tanya complained with an annoyed look at Jess.

This time, it was Jessica rolling her eyes. "Don't be so overdramatic, Tan. If you'd open your frozen heart for once, there might be someone out there for you too."

"Oh, honey, there are dozens of someones out there for me. That's why I won't settle for only one." She threw me a wink, then took a sip from her drink. "So, Bella, what have you been up to since you ditched us at the gym on Wednesday?"

Here it was: my opening to tell them.

I was granted a short moment to gather my thoughts when a waiter showed up, taking our order for a new round of drinks. As soon as he was gone, though, both pairs of eyes were back on me.

Deciding to be upfront would be the best course of action, considering I'd have to tell them anyway, I swallowed, then blurted out, "I'm getting married!"

Tanya stared as if I'd told her I'd been abducted by aliens while Jess grinned like a loon.

"So you went out with Andrew after all?" She jumped up and down in her seat, clapping her hands.

Now I was sure my expression matched Tanya's. "Who the hell is Andrew?"

"Dave's friend I told you about, silly." Jessica shook her head in disbelief.

"You've been with the guy for a week, Jess. You could only have mentioned him on Wednesday. Bella might have seen that Andrew person once, if at all. Why would she want to marry him?" Tanya countered, oblivious to how close to the truth she actually was.

Jess huffed. "Then who _is_ she going to marry?"

I wanted to kiss the waiter for picking that moment to deliver our drinks so I could take a large gulp of what I hoped was liquid courage. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to look up and muster as much conviction as I could when I answered with a shrug, "I have no idea."

****TtK****

Saturday morning — or rather early afternoon — I woke up with a bitch of a hangover that was one of a kind for me. Not usually an excessive drinker, I'd had to down many a shot until I'd managed to convince Tanya and Jessica I was doing the right thing — meaning mostly Tanya since Jessica was, in fact, excited for my plans after explaining the reasons and theories behind it. In the end, Tan gave in, stating as long as I got a good lay or two out of it, it was so worth it. As I said, we were very much drunk off our asses.

After taking two Advil, drinking a whole bottle of water and having a shower until the hot water ran out, I finally felt almost human again. Never before had I been so happy I only had to start work at four that day.

A huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders after coming clean to my friends, but realizing I still had to tell my parents made my mouth go dry. My mother probably wouldn't be that much of a problem, seeing she was a romantic at heart with lots of harebrained ideas of her own, but my father was a totally different matter.

As Chief of Police to the good people of Forks, he was down-to-earth, old-fashioned and as stubborn as they came. Convincing him to fly to New York, walk me down the aisle and give his only daughter away to a total stranger would be an exceedingly hard sale I wasn't sure I'd be able to make.

Confident the day couldn't get any worse, I decided to bite the bullet and call my parents to share my good news.

After a prolonged, internal debate, I'd made up my mind to call my mother first.

"Hey, Mom, it's me," I greeted her; as if it wasn't obvious who it was.

"Oh, Bella, honey, how are you?" Sadly, we hadn't talked to each other in a few weeks.

Opposing work hours and her traveling around with Phil most of the time didn't make it easy to stay in close contact.

"I'm fine, Mom. Actually, I have some news. I'm getting married." Ripping off the band-aid would hopefully be the best idea.

I heard her gasp on the other end of the line. "My baby's getting married? You never told me you had a boyfriend."

"That's because I don't," I replied, waiting for the onslaught of questions to start.

I told her everything I'd told Jake and my friends, pointing out the pros and cons and that everything was a safe thing legally, then waited for her reaction.

It took her some time, but my mother finally spoke again. "Huh, that's some news you have there. I have to admit, if I were twenty years younger, I'd probably have been the first applicant for that show," she admitted, giggling.

"You don't think I'm crazy?" I asked hopefully.

"No, I don't think you're crazy. It's an adventure, and I'm sure you know what you're getting yourself into. So, when's this big event going to go down?" All of a sudden, she sounded excited.

"The wedding's going to be four weeks from yesterday."

I didn't even get a chance to invite her because she instantly groaned out an "Oh, no! Phil's team has their hardest game of the season that weekend."

I knew four weeks was pretty short notice for a wedding, but this wasn't going to be traditional in any way. I was about to find a way to mask my disappointment when she continued. "Well, no worry, he's old enough to get through it without me holding his hand. I'm looking for a flight already as we speak." I breathed a sigh of relief until I had to move the phone away from my ear to save my eardrum from her squeal. "I can't believe it. My baby's getting married!"

We exchanged a little more news that was in fact unimportant by way of comparison, and I promised to keep her in the loop about all the wedding preparations — most importantly, send her a picture of my dress as soon as I chose one.

Having mastered the phone call with my mom, I had only one person left I needed to inform, and I knew he was going to be the hardest to tell. I loved my father dearly and was close to him; although our short talks on the phone every other week implied differently. He just wasn't a verbose person, and I wasn't one to chatter for hours, either. However, we were bound by a deep understanding and love.

I'd almost worn a dent into my floor by pacing up and down, before I finally plucked up the courage to dial his number. If I was lucky, he would be out fishing with Jake's dad. I had no such luck, though.

"Hello," his deep voice said upon picking up the phone.

"Hey, Dad," I replied in a soft voice.

I could almost hear the frown through the line. "Bells, are you okay? It's unusual for you to call on a Saturday afternoon, all the more since we only talked a few days ago. Is something wrong?"

Worry was turning my father into the cop that was imprinted deeply into his soul.

"No, Dad. Everything's fine. It's just, I gotta tell you something." I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and choked out, "I'm getting married."

I heard my father inhale sharply, then he asked, "Are you pregnant?"

"Nooo," I hastened to reply. "It's nothing like that."

"What _is_ it like then?" he countered skeptically.

I knew, no matter which way I tried to explain, he'd never understand. So I chose the direct approach. "There's this experiment where people are professionally matched up to be married. I'm going to meet my husband at the altar." Making good use of the moment my dad needed to process what I'd said, I added quickly, "Oh, and it's going to be on TV."

"Isabella Marie Swan. Are you insane?" he hollered through the phone. "Why in the name of all that's holy would you agree to something so asinine?"

I knew I needed to calm him down so he was in any state to hear anything else I wanted to tell him.

"Dad, please."

"No, Bella. I need to know why you're acting so stupid," he insisted.

"Because I want someone to share my life with, like you have Sue and Mom has Phil," I replied meekly.

He snorted, and I could picture him pacing the length of the living room. "You can't honestly believe a TV show can give you that. Bells, that shit's about money and audience ratings. They'll only use you and your good faith to make a fortune. Can't you see that, Bella?"

I took another deep breath to steady myself to stand up to my father. "I'm still doing it. The wedding is in four weeks." I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. "Dad, will you please come to walk me down the aisle?"

"Baby, I..." I could hear he was torn. "I'm sorry, but I can't. You know, I've been thinking about your wedding since the day you were born. Giving you away to the man you love and want to share your life with is a hard-enough concept for me, but imagining leading you to a stranger I know nothing about with cameras around us? No, Bells. I won't fly across the country to attend that farce. I'm sorry."

I could feel the tears stinging my eyes, and the lump in my throat was about to choke me. "You don't have to answer me now," I offered, trying to calm him down.

His words were final when he said, "I won't change my mind about this, Isabella, but I hope you will."

Almost inaudibly, I answered, "I won't."

The huff on the other end made the tears start to fall. "Then promise me to be safe."

"I will, Dad. Bye."

Dropping the phone, I sank down onto the couch, clutching a throw pillow to my chest as I sobbed my heart out. That was how Jake found me when he came home a while later. Without a word, he joined me, snuggling up close, and wrapped his strong arms around me.

"What happened, Bells?" he whispered in a worried tone.

I sniffled sadly, trying to compose myself enough to answer him. "My dad won't be coming to the wedding."

"Why not?" he demanded, incredulous.

Grabbing a tissue, I blew my nose noisily. "He says it's not real, so he can't support it." I bit my lip, not sure how to ask him what I wanted and needed. "Jake, you're my best friend, and no one knows me the way you do. Will you walk me down the aisle?"

Staring at his handsome face, I watched several emotions flicker across it; among them pride, sadness, happiness, as well as regret.

"You're sure, Bells? Maybe you could change Charlie's mind."

I shook my head. "I won't. He was adamant he wanted nothing to do with it." I smiled and looked into my best friend's eyes. "I want it to be you. Will you give me away at my wedding?"

"Honey, I'd be proud to. I'd do anything for you."

I flung myself at him, hugging him as tight as I could. No matter what happened around us, I was glad Jake would always be there for me, supporting me in everything I did, even if other people might consider it crazy. And in four weeks, I'd be on his arm, walking down the aisle toward the man I'd hopefully spend the rest of my life with.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Aww! Isn't Jake the sweetest? And what about her girlfriends? Do you like them or not so much?

The talk with Charlie was kind of hard to write. I would have wanted her to have her dad walk her down the aisle, but then again, I couldn't see Charlie actually doing it. He's too conservative to want any part of this.

However, next chapter will finally have the wedding. I know many of you are impatient to have Edward and Bella meet. Here's a little sneak peek:

… _With irritation written all over his face, he pulled back, glaring at me questioningly. Again, my cheeks began to flame with embarrassment, however I got no chance to start freaking out about what I'd done, because the ceremony was over. Edward placed my hand in the crook of his arm, then walked me up the aisle and out of the room. …_

Oh no! What did she do? Tell me your theories here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

One more thing, I've been thinking about starting recommendations again, but a few days ago, I read a story where the author turned the tables on her readers and _asked_ for recs. That's what I'm going to do now too. So, does anyone know of a good BDSM story to rec? If so, please let me know because I haven't read any in a while ;).

See you in two weeks.

P.S. I just found out my latest completed story, **Two Blue Lines** , has been nominated for _Top Ten Fics completed in 2015_ over at _TwiFanfictionrecs_. I'm so honored to even be mentioned. Please, I'd ask you all to go over there to vote for me or any other of the wonderful authors nominated there. Link is on my profile.


	5. Chapter 5 - Here Comes the Bride - and G

**A/N:** Hi and welcome to the wedding! And Happy Valentine's Day! This update is a day early, due to a change in my work schedule, but next chapter, we'll go back to the regular updates every other Monday.

So, the wedding. I know, some of you will think "finally." However, a few things still have to happen before they can say "I do."

Thanks for reviewing, following or just simply reading, but hearing what you all think makes writing so much more rewarding.

As usual, I have a wonderful team of betas and pre-readers who make sure my rambling is worth your time. Please, give a round of applause to **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl**. They're the best.

Now, let's see how the wedding goes, and what had Edward pissed afterwards ;).

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight.

******TtK******

Chapter 5 – Here Comes the Bride — and Groom

~Bella~

"Ugh, Bella, that's so not you!" Tanya groaned, sending me right back into the changing room.

The last twenty wedding gowns she, Jess and Ange had made me try on turned out to either be too conservative, too slutty or too boring. Now, with the twenty-first being only "not me," I was getting my hopes up we might be getting closer.

Jane, my assigned personal shopper, followed to help me out of the dress. "So, Bella, now that you've shown them all the dresses _they_ chose, tell me again what it is _you're_ looking for."

"Well," I started as Jane pulled down the zipper, and I stepped out of the dress, "I want something feminine and soft. It shouldn't be too flashy or eccentric. Simple in style, but not plain. Elegant and a little sexy, yet not too revealing. Maybe fitted up top and strapless. And it has to look good on TV."

"I think I have just the right thing," Jane answered, smiling, and left the room.

I wrapped the store's gray satin robe around me and took a seat while I waited for her to return with something that would hopefully fit my description. I knew what I wanted, in my head, and I prayed she could find it for me soon.

It didn't take long until she opened the door, holding _the_ dress. "So, Bella, this should come pretty close to what you asked for." She hung the hanger on a hook and spread the skirt a bit.

I looked at what I'd learned was a fit-and-flair dress, made of several layers of silken chiffon. The bodice was strapless and narrow with a sweetheart neckline that crisscrossed over the breasts, and wrap around the waist. It looked like the fabric had been continued around the back and was tucked in, in front. Toward the hem, the skirt flared out progressively; the alternate layers of ivory, see-through material creating the perfect amount of volume and width in front to flow out to a short train behind.

"Wow," was all I mumbled as Jane took the dress from the hanger and held it over my head to pull it down my body.

It fit as though it had been made with my exact measurements in mind. The bodice hugged my torso snugly, pushing my boobs up, putting them on modest display. The smooth chiffon caressed my hips just right, flowing elegantly to the floor. When I gazed into the mirror, I couldn't hold back a gasp.

 _Dammit, who's that woman in the reflection, looking like she stepped right out of a fairy tale book?_

"Okay." Jane's voice broke the spell I was under. "Now, here's the cherry on top."

Coming up behind me, she reached around my waist, fastening a bejeweled, sparkling silver belt around me, which improved the dress from perfect to the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"Are you ready to show it to your friends?" Jane asked with a twinkle in her eyes and a winning smirk on her lips.

I couldn't help but smile right back at her. "Yeah. I'm ready."

I followed her down the short corridor and into the showroom, my eyes searching for the reaction on my waiting friends' faces. The expressions I found varied from a bright smile, to a mesmerized gasp, to breathless surprise.

"Wow, Bella." Angela was the first one to speak. "You're … beautiful. That is _your_ dress."

"That husband of yours won't know what hit him," Tanya chimed in. "You're stunning."

Jess had to wipe away a tear before she found her voice. "That's so romantic. You look like a princess."

Confident and satisfied with the approval, Jane rushed out of the room, only to return with an elaborately-decorated silver comb and a veil. With little effort, she swept my mass of dark-brown curls to the back of my head, fastened it in a chignon-like bun and attached the hip-length veil to it.

"So, Bella, is this your dress?" She stepped off the pedestal to leave me and my friends to stare at my reflection in the giant mirrors adorning one wall of the room.

"Yeah," I croaked out, my voice heavy with emotion. "This is my dress."

****TtK****

Although it was awkward as hell, the doctor's appointment went over well. Being a professional chef, I had to go through regular health checks anyway, so it was no surprise the routine exams all came back negative. Talking about sexual partners, birth control and the like was a completely different matter. Seeing as I hadn't gotten around a whole lot and had always, always used protection, I wasn't particularly nervous about the results from the STD tests. However, it was still a relief to know I was fine, and even more was it a comforting thought to know my future husband would have been checked just as thoroughly.

I completed two interviews for _Tie the Knot_ , which was the designated name of the show; one at home with Jake as he helped me pack for my honeymoon and the other one at work with my boss, Marcus Volturi, giving me advice on the dos and don'ts in successful marriages.

****TtK****

Next up was my bachelorette party / bridal shower. I could have done without it, but the girls, as well as the two honorary girls, Jake and Mike, insisted it was a rite of passage. They said, even if nothing about my wedding was going to be traditional, we needed to keep up with as many rituals as possible.

It was Saturday, one week prior to the set date, and I didn't know how they managed it, but they convinced Marcus to give me the day off. I learned early on he was a typical dog that barked loudly, but was too soft at heart to actually bite, working hard to hide that truth from the outside world. In his mid-seventies, he was more like a fatherly friend to me than a strict boss. However, considering he wasn't a fan of my participation in the TV show, I was still surprised he not only went along, releasing me for the evening, but also provided the catering for the party.

"Bella, come on, start opening the presents," Jessica cheered, handing me the first from a stack of gift-wrapped boxes.

We were sitting in the living room of Tanya's fashionable apartment. Besides the gang and the boys, there were also a few women we knew from the gym and a couple former coworkers of mine I'd stayed in contact with.

I opened box after box, finding a set of wine glasses, a gift certificate for a couple's day at a spa, a set of his and hers bathrobes, and even a copy of the Kama Sutra, a book about food aphrodisiacs and the like. As I explored my gifts, my friends feasted on the vast selection of antipasto Marcus had delivered — of course, all created after my own special recipes.

Eventually, there were only four presents left, which apparently were from the five people closest to me. Tanya was the first to hand me hers with a knowing smile.

Very reluctantly, I undid the bow and lifted the lid, finding an item I had no idea what it could be used for. It was purple, about three inches long and in the shape of a U with both ends much wider than the curve. I reached into the box, picking it up and holding it closer to my face in confusion.

"Oh, you got her a WeVibe," Jess squealed while clapping her hands. "That's great. I'm sure you'll love it." She grinned at me widely, while I still had no idea what she was talking about.

Picking up on my ignorance, Tan took the thing from me, making it start to buzz lowly, then louder. "It's a couple's vibrator. You put one of the ends into your pussy so it can stimulate your G-spot, well, and the guy's dick, of course, and the other one on your clit. I can tell you, it's _magical_." Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. "That way, you'll be sure to come even if he sucks in bed."

"Tanya," I burst out, shocked, hitting her upper arm. "I don't even know the man. Maybe I don't want to have sex with him!"

She flashed me an evil grin. "Well, then you just use it on your own. That's almost as much fun. And you can minimize your frustration over the six weeks."

While I still tried to decide if I was embarrassed or not, Jess jumped up from her seat and handed me a pink box with little white hearts on it. "I'm next."

I opened it slowly; afraid to find more sex toys I'd have to be lectured on. Instead, the box held a black and red lace bra and pantie set with matching garter belt and stockings. The cups of the bra were almost sheer, and upon closer inspection, I discovered the panties to be crotchless.

"Dave gave me the same set in pink, and let me tell you, he _loved_ taking it off again, if you know what I mean." Jess's accompanying wink made me shudder lightly. Not that I begrudged her adventurous sex life, but the lingerie was rather see-through, skimpy, and so not what I'd feel comfortable wearing around a virtual stranger.

Tanya leaned over to peek into the box, whistling approvingly. "Damn, that's hot. If you take that on your honeymoon, you won't have to worry about entertainment."

Before I could tell them I'd rather die than wear slutty lingerie for a man I didn't know, Angela took the box from my lap and handed me a flat, rectangular present instead.

"Here. I'm sure this is more up your alley."

Knowing Ange to be a lot more conservative than the other two, I lifted the lid without any worries, revealing pretty satin pajamas in a rich shade of purple.

"Since you'll have to sleep next to the guy, I thought you'd feel better with everything essential covered up. Once you know him better, you can switch to wearing Jess's gift."

"Thanks, Ange. You're the best," I muttered, drawing her in for a hug.

She ran her hand up and down my back. "Oh, you're welcome, hun. I hope it'll all work out."

As I released my friend, Jake and Mike made their way between me on the couch and the coffee table, sitting down with wide smiles. I could see Tanya squinting her eyes at their choice of seats, but she swallowed her objections as Jake began to speak.

"Bells, we thought a lot about this and decided that the unique circumstances of your wedding call for a unique present. So, Mikey and I, we made something especially for you." He reached behind him and gave me a small cardboard box with a red ribbon on top.

Smiling at his cute, shy enthusiasm, I removed the ribbon and opened the box, finding two smaller boxes inside, labeled "Truth" and "Dare." With my eyebrow raised skeptically, I met my friend's eyes, noticing Mike smirking beside him.

"The 'Truth' box is to get to know your husband better and the 'Dare' box, well, I'm sure you can imagine what that holds." He smiled sweetly, probably a little ashamed, thinking about my sex life, as well as slightly put off by the fact he was condoning my getting intimate with someone who I hadn't even met yet.

Grateful for their thoughtfulness, I reached over and hugged first Jake then Mike, thanking them for their special gift.

"Jakey, Jakey, Jakey, you have a fabulously dirty mind." Tanya chuckled while shaking her head, going through the contents of the "Dare" box.

I tried to snatch the cards out of her hand, only to have her hit my arm in defense. "This won't be fun if you already know what's in it, so shoo."

Seeing Tanya grin like that, made me doubt I ever wanted to know what was in that box. However, before it could be of any use to me, I had to get through the wedding first.

****TtK****

Seeing myself in a wedding gown, all done up with professional makeup, the elaborate hairdo and the veil, felt so surreal. In a short while, I'd meet my future husband. What was he like? Was he good-looking? Was he smart or funny? I'd have six weeks to learn all that about him and hopefully fall in love. Was that even possible?

If the statistics were right, our marriage had a better chance at lasting than most others. And I was counting on that.

A few minutes ago, my mom had left the room to give me a little space to get in the right mindset for my impending nuptials. I'd picked her up from the airport the previous day and had dinner with her, but we'd kept things light and superficial with talk about Phil's work and her newest hobby of making candles.

All the more was I surprised when she entered my dressing room about an hour prior to the wedding, gushing about how pretty I was in my dress and how this was the most important day of my life. Maybe it was; I wasn't sure. After all, I was about to agree to become the wife of a stranger for at least the next six weeks.

Although Renée wasn't the most sensible person out there, she apparently felt the need to impart her collective relationship expertise on me. It was rather comical, considering she'd never planned ahead a day in her life, but had all kinds of advice for me.

"Oh, Bells, you look beautiful." Jake's voice, hoarse with emotion, made me turn away from the floor-length mirror and extraordinary reflection.

Seeing his dark-brown eyes full of tears — joyful yet regretful at the same time — made a lump form in my throat, and my own vision started to blur.

"Thanks, Jake," I choked out, pressing my hand flat against my hammering heart as I rushed to him. His strong arms wrapped around me, holding me securely to his broad chest.

I knew he'd been fantasizing about my wedding since the day he realized he was gay and would never have that typical white wedding of his own, maybe even longer. Little did he know then I wouldn't either: white — check, typical — not so much. And I was sure, in his dreams, he hadn't been the one walking me down the aisle. However, with my stubborn father refusing to come, my oldest and dearest friend was the logical stand-in.

We held each other for a minute or two until he sniffled theatrically and pushed me away a bit so he could see my face. "You're still sure you want to do this?"

Biting my lip, I nodded.

"Okay, then, I think it's show time."

He placed my right hand in the crook of his arm, handed me my beautiful white calla lily bouquet and led me out of the dressing room.

A few doors down the corridor, Heidi, a production assistant, told us to wait. She whispered a few words into her headset, and I could hear the faint notes of the wedding march play on the other side of the double doors. A moment later, both wings opened at once.

All of a sudden, I was terrified of what was at the end of the aisle; so scared, I didn't even dare to look and, instead, fixated my eyes on the carpet in front of me. We stood and waited for what felt like an eternity until Jake bent down and whispered into my ear in a gloating tone.

"Jackpot!"

Knowing his unerring taste in men, I was sure there was nothing to fear. Still gnawing on my lip, I lifted my gaze from the floor and gasped as I found a gorgeous man in a dark-gray suit standing in front of the altar. His bronze hair was in a carefully-styled disarray; his entrancing green eyes, wide with what looked like wonder.

I couldn't hold back the smile creeping across my face as I realized that more-than-handsome man was going to be my husband. With renewed excitement, I started to put one foot in front of the other, crossing the distance between us.

We reached the end of the aisle without me tripping over my own two feet. This was a relief, not only since there were several cameras pointed at me, but also I didn't want to look like a klutz in front of the adonis who seemed to be waiting for me impatiently. As we halted in front of the altar, I felt Jake kiss my cheek lovingly, then he placed my hand in the warm hand of my groom.

Feeling a blush creep up my face, I smiled a little; the jitters probably making it look more like a grimace. That very moment, I realized everything was real, and my groom was the most handsome man I'd ever set eyes on.

Luckily, the celebrant interrupted our anxious staring contest.

"Isabella Swan, meet your husband-to-be, Edward Masen. Edward, this is Isabella, your bride."

I wanted to interrupt her, telling her to call me "Bella," but my soon-to-be husband's twinkling, green eyes held mine, making it impossible to form a coherent thought. _Edward. Edward. Edward,_ was the only word dancing through my brain.

I didn't hear the speech the woman made, and I barely registered the questions we were asked, but at some point, Edward answered his with "I do," as did I when the time came. Faintly aware of the ring being slipped on my finger or hearing the words "I declare you husband and wife," I only noticed Edward leaning in near, smiling widely when our lips almost met. That was when it hit me. I'd known the man for all of ten minutes; if you could call gazing into his eyes and having heard his name _knowing_ him.

Yes, he was my husband now, but suddenly, I wasn't sure I was ready to kiss him. A fraction of a second before his lips would have met mine, my head turned a bit to the left so his kiss landed on my cheekbone instead of my mouth. The contact made my skin tingle in a way I'd never experienced in my life, but it lasted only as long as it took Edward to realize I'd averted my lips.

With irritation written all over his face, he pulled back, glaring at me questioningly. Again, my cheeks began to flame with embarrassment, however I got no chance to start freaking out about what I'd done, because the ceremony was over. Edward placed my hand in the crook of his arm, then walked me up the aisle and out of the room.

As soon as the double doors closed behind us, my hand fell from Edward's arm, and he took a step away from me. My mouth opened, but I couldn't say anything or ask what was going on because Heidi ushered us away and into an empty corridor where we were supposed to start getting to know each other until we joined our guests in the reception hall.

With my bottom lip between my teeth, I watched Edward pace in front of me; one hand stuck in his pocket, the other one messing with his hair.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a small camera crew taking position a few feet away, and I felt I had to do something to break the tension that seemed to have settled on us.

"So, you're Edward," I said lamely, trying to sound cheery.

Since my husband — _dammit, that sounded weird_ — had his back turned to me, I could only hear what sounded like humorless yet incredibly musical chuckles. He turned around, his face an annoyed grimace until he apparently caught a glimpse of the camera, and in an instant, he schooled his features and showed me a mocking but not unpleasant smile instead.

"Yes, _Isabella_ , I'm Edward." His tone was saccharine sweet, but had an audible edge.

For a moment, I felt like taking a step back, but there was this sudden need to stand my ground.

"Bella," my voice sounded hoarse, so I repeated, "it's _Bella_."

The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, then he continued a little more friendly.

" _Bella_. That's nice. So, Bella …" He chuckled again; this time it was more genuine. "Fuck, this is weird."

"You're aware they'll have to bleep that out, right?" I grinned.

His laughing picked up, and I giggled right along with him.

There was a table shoved up against a wall, and I sat down on the edge gingerly, trying not to wrinkle my dress. I was kind of surprised when Edward came over and plopped down just a few inches away from me; our hands that rested between us almost touching.

He ended his laughing with a snort. "They'll have to prepare to bleep out a lot over the next six weeks."

"You have a foul mouth then, huh? Maybe you should practice holding your tongue," I suggested mockingly.

Edward raised one of his brows and leaned closer to me; so close, his warm breath fanning over my face and neck made my skin crawl deliciously. "I have lots of other ideas for keeping my tongue occupied."

I shuddered, starting to stammer out, "A … and what would those be?"

"Oh, baby, wouldn't you like to know?"

I didn't know the man from Adam, and just a few minutes ago, I'd refused to let him kiss me, but my traitorous body was reacting to him as though he were the answer to a prayer. There was no denying the attraction between the two of us.

His nose made contact with my ear just as Heidi came rushing around a corner. "Are you guys ready for the party?"

We jumped apart as though we'd been caught red-handed or something; me frantically straightening out my dress while Edward unbuttoned then re-buttoned his suit jacket and straightened his tie. When he was satisfied with his appearance, he held out his hand to me. "Come on, Mrs. Masen, let's go greet our guests."

The man beside me was a stranger, and his words should have made me feel uneasy, but weirdly, they made my stomach flutter. Unable to hold back a smile, I put my hand in Edward's, and we followed Heidi to a set of closed doors where we waited until we heard someone announce us as Mr. and Mrs. Edward Masen. The doors opened, and we entered to applause and hollers of our friends and family.

As my new husband led me into the room, Ed Sheeran's _Thinking Out Loud_ began to play, and the standing ovations slowly died down. We stopped in the middle of a square that was set up as a dance floor. Edward wrapped one arm around my waist, then lifted our joined hands to his chest, and started to sway us to the beat of the music.

Mesmerized, I couldn't help but gaze into his eyes.

"What?" His brows rose questioningly.

I looked down for a second until I met his imploring stare again. "I'm just surprised you can dance, is all."

Edward laughed his musical laugh again. "I can do a lot of things. But this you have to thank my mother for. She tried to raise me as a gentleman — which I assure you, I'm not." The last words were spoken so close to my ear that his breath caused goose bumps to appear all over my skin.

I was sure he wasn't a gentleman — hopefully in the best of ways.

Unable to find a witty response to that, I kept quiet, and we swayed together until the song ended.

Before we had a chance to let go of each other, a young man with a clipboard stood next to us, telling us to take position at the far end of the dance floor and give our friends and family a chance to congratulate us.

Our guests formed a cue, and the first person storming toward me was my mother.

"Oh, Bella, congratulations!" She pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear, "You're such a lucky girl. Dammit, if I were younger, I'd ask where to sign up for the next season."

Pulling back, she smiled brightly at her new son-in-law.

Of course, she'd heard his name during the ceremony, but he still had no idea who she was. "Edward, uhm, this is my mother, Renée Dwyer."

He flashed her a nervous grin and extended his hand. "Hi, Renée. Nice to meet you."

My mom, in her usual fashion, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her as though they'd known each other their entire life. "Likewise. I'm sure we'll get along wonderfully."

Renée finally moved along when a middle-aged couple approached us tentatively. The woman, her hair a rich dark-copper and her eyes as green as Edward's, beamed at my husband, then reached up, placed a hand on both his cheeks and pulled him down to her to kiss his forehead.

"Congratulations, honey. You did very well. I'm so proud of you. Now, introduce us to your beautiful bride."

They both turned to look at me; Edward almost shyly, his mother friendly and welcoming.

"Bella, these are my parents, Elizabeth and Edward Masen, Sr. Mom, Dad, this is Bella." He cringed slightly as he said the next words. "My wife."

Mrs. Masen wrapped me in a light embrace, assuring me how happy she was to meet me, and her husband shook my hand, smiling kindly.

Next up were Tanya and Jessica, chattering away as they both ogled my husband unashamedly.

"If this doesn't work out for the two of you, do you mind if I try my luck?" Jess blabbered as she hugged me, then moved over to Edward to shake his hand and kiss his cheek. "Hi, Edward. I'm Jessica. I've known Bella, like, _forever_."

Tanya rubbed my back as she pulled me into her arms. "Bells, your husband's so hawt! Please, find out if he has a single brother."

I couldn't help giggling at Tanya being Tanya. "I promise, I will."

Angela had some heartfelt encouragements to share, while Jake had a difficult time keeping his emotions at bay. After moving away from me, I watched my best friend whisper something to Edward while the handshake between the two of them looked like an arm-wrestling match; Jake's stare holding an unveiled threat.

Edward introduced me to his friends, Seth and Emmett, who were both good-looking but acted kind of nervous around me. Emmett's girlfriend, Rosalie, a beautiful, statuesque blond, eyed me suspiciously, while a Victoria, another one of their friends, seemed to glare at me warily as her eyes slid to Edward and lingered.

After several more people had congratulated us, names and faces started to mesh together in my already-mangled brain while excitement and dread for what was to come after the reception made my stomach do summersaults. At least, dinner and maybe some more dancing would still have to happen before I had to be alone with my new husband again.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** I'm dying to know what you think. How did you like the bachelorette party? Nice gifts, right? If you're interested, there are pics of the _WeVibe_ and Bella's dress in my _Facebook_ group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

Now, what's going to happen next? Here's a little hint:

… _I couldn't help admiring her_ _spirit, bu_ _t I wasn't giving up yet. "Dammit, Spice, you're sexy as fuck when you're mad. Don't be a prude. I know you want me." …_

Do you think Bella will go for this really nice suggestion or do you see problems here? Tell me here or on _Facebook_.

Next update will be two weeks from Monday. See you then.


	6. Chapter 6 - Wedding Nights And Other Dis

**A/N:** Hi and welcome to witness Wedding Nights and Other Disasters. I was blown by the response to the wedding last chapter. You seem to all have liked the wedding and most of you volunteered to take Bella's place and give Edward the kiss he wanted. However, many of you were very put out by the fact that Edward invited Victoria to the wedding. To avoid confusion, here's the explanation. The two of them are friends, first and foremost. Yes, they had a sexual relationship but there has never been anything romantic between them. When or if they stop reaping those benefits, they'll quite certainly stay friends. And since he was supposed to invite friends and family, she was naturally part of that circle. He's too insensitive to see anything wrong with that anyway. For all of you who are worried, there won't be any cheating going on. Okay, rant over, lol.

Time for credits. I'm sure you know my team by now, but that won't stop me from shouting out their names time and again. **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl** , I couldn't do this without you.

Now, enjoy the wedding night, or is it going to be a disaster? We'll see ;).

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight.

******TtK******

Chapter 6 – Wedding Nights and Other Disasters

~Edward~

Most of the people shaking our hands or hugging us were nice and supportive on some level. My new mother-in-law — _ew, that's weird to even think_ — greeted me exuberantly, calling me a lottery win, while my own parents were moderately happy. My friends sent me wary glances, but welcomed Bella warmly — well, as warmly as possible, considering they knew why I'd gotten married in the first place. Bella's friends, on the other hand, were acting all giddy for her, ogling and touching me as if I were a choice piece of meat. All the while, I couldn't stop sneaking glances at the stunning woman beside me. _My wife._

What really shocked me, though, was how Native Guy greeted me. He wrapped Bella in a very intimate embrace before turning to me, putting his steel-like arm around my shoulders and pulling me to him. When his mouth was uncomfortably close to my ear, he whispered so only I could hear. "Dude, if you hurt her, I'll kill you and make sure no one finds the body." He glowered at me, and I was acutely aware he meant every word.

I was a tall guy myself, but Jacob — as I'd learned was his name — still had a few inches on me, and seeing his muscular build and deadly glare, I shuddered inwardly at his threat. I hadn't gotten into this to deliberately hurt anyone, but at some point, it might be unavoidable.

I was saved from my dark and fearful thoughts by the production assistant who'd been whirling around us all night. She shooed the last lingering well-wishers away, then showed us where to sit.

I'd had a couple of girlfriends in my time, but nothing compared to walking next to this wonderful creature in her gorgeous, white dress. Never had I set high values on gentlemanly behavior. Little things like leading my companion to a table or opening doors for her had never been part of the way I conducted myself. Yet, with Bella by my side, I felt the strange need to place my hand on the small of her back to guide her to the head table, pull out her chair, and help her sit. It all came naturally, though none of it made sense to me.

I was still pissed about her turning away and refusing to kiss me after the ceremony, but I was determined to change her mind and hopefully charm her into putting out later tonight. After all, we were married and it was our wedding night.

Not yet sure how to start a conversation, I picked up the menu standing upright in the middle of the table.

 _Three Varieties of Salmon on a Bed of Potato_

The starter sounded pretty fancy already, but I was surprised to discover it meant a plate with three two-inch diameter potato fritters, each covered with a slice of salmon. One fritter was topped with a dollop of horse radish, one was coated in a yellowish marinade, and the last one had two asparagus spears on top.

While I eyed the arrangement skeptically, in my peripheral vision, I noticed Bella staring at her plate with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. I was wondering where that came from as I put the first bite in my mouth, and was relieved I found it to be quite tasty.

At the same time, I heard Bella huff beside me. Raising one brow, I glanced over to find her with a serious frown on her pretty face, still chewing on the bite she'd taken.

"What's the matter? Don't you like salmon?" I asked, not understanding why she even tried it if she didn't like fish.

She hurried to swallow, then answered, "That's not it. The potatoes are bland because the cook was a bit stingy with the salt, and the radish is pretty hot and too much."

I left that uncommented, considering I liked what I'd tasted so far. I quickly finished the first piece and continued on to the one with the marinade. That one was even better. It tasted like mustard, but had a sweet note to it as well. Once more, Bella made a dissatisfied noise.

"The salt again?" I inquired as I continued to devour my food.

"That, and they used the wrong mustard. I know Dijon is the most popular with professional cooks, but a honey mustard would pair better with the spices they added here."

Working hard to bite back a snort at her wiseass remark, I started on the last salmon piece. Looking over to Bella's plate, I saw that, again, she'd only taken one small bite, wrinkling her nose at her fork.

"What's wrong now?" My tone was a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Apparently, my wife was a food critic — or just a snob.

"Didn't you notice they overcooked the asparagus? And there are hardly any spices used on the whole thing. I can't believe a 4-star hotel dares to serve such a simple starter and mess it up like that." Frustrated, she pushed the plate away and reached for the menu as a waiter came and cleared the table. "Lamb fillet with tarragon sauce, homemade potato croquettes, and mixed vegetables with hollandaise sauce. Not the most innovative, but maybe they did a better job with it."

She was cute when she was annoyed like that, but I didn't get a chance to make fun of her, because the next course arrived. There were three tiny strips of meat on the plate, covered in a pale yellow sauce with some herbs in it. Next to that, there were little cones that looked like they were made of fried mashed potatoes. The last segment of the plate held broccoli, carrot chips, green beans, and cauliflower with a rich yellow dressing.

This time, instead of diving right into my food, I watched Bella as she cut the first bite of lamb and put it in her mouth gingerly; the way her lips wrapped around her fork was doing funny things to my nether regions. She chewed tentatively, then took a big gulp of water to wash it down.

"Too cautious with the salt, but to make up for it, they boiled the fillet to a piece of leather," she mumbled mostly to herself. Next up, she tried the croquettes, scrunching up her nose. "Has the idiot heard of any kind of spices? I can't believe this. You can hardly mess up mashed potatoes." Lastly, she poked the veggies with her fork, huffing at something, then moved the prongs through the sauce, letting her tongue dart out to taste it. The erotic sight made my designer pants get uncomfortably tight.

Without eating any more or making another comment, she set down her utensils and took what looked like a big, comforting sip of wine.

Smiling at her cute frown and indignant stance, I shook my head as I refocused on my own plate. I wasn't a foodie in the least, but I had to admit she had a point about the lamb being a bit chewy and the sauce lacking … something. The potato thingies were fine with me, although I'd have preferred some fries, and the broccoli fell to pieces upon touching it with my fork, while the carrots were almost too hard to even spear them up. I'd definitely had better — but I'd had much worse as well, so I ate with an appetite; Bella glaring at me incredulously.

When all the guests had finished their main course, the tables were cleared, and dessert was served. It consisted of crepes with strawberries and some whipped white stuff. It looked great, in my opinion, but just for the fun of it, I waited for Bella to pass judgment first.

She cut a piece off the crepe, eyed it warily, then put it in her mouth — and I watched intently as her lips closed around the fork in that same sensual manner. After chewing a few times, she swallowed, then tried a strawberry. As with the prior courses, she wrinkled her nose before tasting some of the creamy stuff.

"So, what's the verdict?" I asked in a slightly mocking tone.

Bella seemed to ignore the humor in my voice and answered seriously. "The crepes are too thick and screaming for a pinch of salt, and the strawberries aren't fully ripe. A sprinkle of ground green pepper would improve the taste significantly, and the mascarpone mix is too heavy on the cream and too light on the sugar. All things considered, the chef has no idea how to use his spices."

She didn't take another bite and, instead, took one more big sip of her wine. I shook my head, chuckling, then tried my own dessert. She was right, the strawberries weren't sweet enough, and the white goo tasted mostly like whipped cream, but it was still good.

"What's with all the grumbling? Are you a professional food critic or something?" I managed to get out through my mouth full of food.

Bella looked up at me almost shyly. "I'm not a food critic. I'm a chef. And I can tell you _I_ know my spices."

 _Hot damn! My wife's a chef! Jackpot!_

Finishing my dessert, I smiled at her salaciously. "Yeah, I'm sure you know how to spice things up."

She smirked back at me. "Wouldn't you want to know?"

My cock instantly reacted to her titillating words, and I masked my arousal by emptying my glass of wine. Searching for another clever response, I was saved by the DJ announcing it was time to fill the dance floor. I stood from my chair, closed my suit jacket to hide my hard-on, and held out my hand to my smugly grinning wife.

"Come on, Spice, let's join the party."

****TtK****

"So, Eddie-boy, are you ready for your big night?" Emmett clapped me on the shoulder, looking out over the dance floor where Bella and her friend were danging. "Dammit! You're so lucky. Your wife's a bombshell."

I chuckled as I stood at the bar with him and Seth, downing a few shots until it was time for the bride and groom to leave the party.

As usual, Seth was a lot more rational about things. "She's definitely eye-fucked you a time or two, but do you really think she'll be up for it?"

"I don't know if she is, but my dick is screaming at me to let him near her. And I'll do what I can to appease him." I smirked, waggling my eyebrows.

Sure, Bella was beautiful, curvy, and sexy as hell, but strangely, I didn't feel attracted to her solely because of her physical attributes. Her shy, but at the same time, sassy nature drew me in as much if not more. Anyway, I'd be doing my best to get her into my bed tonight.

"Well then, good luck, man." Emmett gulped down another vodka shot, pushing me in the direction of my wife. Heidi, the girl who'd been around us all night, was already tapping her watch.

I crossed the room and stopped in the middle of the dance floor where Bella was swaying with Native Guy. Throwing him a smug little grin, I put one hand on her shoulder, halting them in their dance.

"I think it's time for us to leave and take a look at the honeymoon suite," I whispered suggestively, close to her ear but loud enough for her friend to hear. It had to be the alcohol I'd consumed that made me brave enough to rile him up, but seeing him glower at me was kind of funny.

I watched my Spice swallow, then she turned to me, wide-eyed. "Sure," she murmured. "Let me say goodbye to my mom first. She's going to fly back to Florida tomorrow."

She scurried away, and Jacob leaned in closer. "She deserves to be treated like a lady. If you so much as look at her the wrong way, you'll have to deal with me."

Clapping my shoulder hard enough to make me wince, he left me standing there, waiting for my wife to return so we could leave. I watched her sharing a tight hug with her mother, who grinned widely as her daughter walked back to me.

"I'm ready." She said it as much to me as to Heidi, who was now right beside us.

The production assistant nodded over to the DJ, who announced that Mr. and Mrs. Masen thanked their guests for their attendance and bid them farewell. Trying to ignore the cameras zoomed in on us, I took Bella's hand in mine and led her out of the room to wolf whistles and encouraging howls from our friends.

Silently, with a camera crew in tow, we made our way to our suite on the eighth floor. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the key card Heidi had handed to me earlier in the evening. Quickly sweeping it through the reader, I pushed open the door, giving the crew the chance to enter ahead of us. Even though I wasn't a romantic guy, I knew what was expected of me, so I wrapped one arm around Bella's waist and slipped the other under her knees, lifting her from the floor to carry her over the threshold, making her yelp in surprise.

"Wow, Edward, traditional much?" Her giggles were the cutest thing I'd ever heard.

I was anything but traditional, but again, I was very aware of the camera capturing our every move, and was determined to act according to social standards — and Bella felt unbelievably good in my arms.

"Not much, but I'm not willing to jinx things just yet."

Three steps into the suite, I set her down on her own two feet, taking a look around the room. It was nicely furnished with a small corridor leading to a spacious room with a king-sized bed in the center. The adjacent bathroom had a Jacuzzi tub and high-end shower, visible through the open door next to the bed.

"This is great." Bella admired her surroundings, taking a three-sixty turn in the middle of the bedroom.

As she sauntered over to the bed, running two fingers over the duvet, I felt my cock twitch. So I walked over to her, leaning in.

"You ready for bed, Spice?" I whispered, making sure my warm breath reached the shell of her ear and her neck. The subsequent goose bumps painted a wide smirk on my face.

I watched her chew her lip before she cleared her throat to answer me. "Yeah, the day was long and stressful. I'm ready to go to bed."

The camera crew apparently knew how to take a hint and said their goodbyes while leaving the room, reminding us of the hand-held camera on a table near the bed. I followed them to the door, making sure it was locked, then swaggered back to my bride who hadn't moved.

Being confident she was as worked up as me, I only stopped once my front was almost pressed against her back; my hands on her bare shoulders as my lips made contact with the white skin on her elegant neck. All of a sudden, she jumped, bringing at least two feet of space between us.

"What are you doing?" She placed one hand on her hip, the other one touching the spot my lips had kissed.

My reply came out self-assured and maybe a bit arrogant. "Claiming my bride on our wedding night."

"I didn't let you kiss my lips after the wedding, now, mere hours later, you think I'm ready to have sex with you? I don't even know you." She was fuming and oh-so-hot.

"I won't lie. I was pissed you turned away. I still am. But you can make up for it. Come on, I've seen how you look at me. You want me, and I want you. Why deny ourselves the fun?" I cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to claim I was wrong.

Her expression turned fiery. "I don't kiss strangers, and I sure as hell don't have sex with them. Not anymore. Been there. Done that. Didn't do anything for me. You have to put a lot more effort into this to get me to put out. Now, will you help me get down this damn zipper so I can change into my pajamas, or are you going to stand there like a toddler who was denied a piece of chocolate and pout?"

I couldn't help admiring her spirit, but I wasn't giving up yet. "Dammit, Spice, you're sexy as fuck when you're mad. Don't be a prude. I know you want me."

"You're a real cocky asshole. You should know that's a huge turn-off for me." She smirked at me evilly. "Now that I think about it, I'm sure I'll find a way to get out of this dress on my own."

With that, she stormed off into the bathroom, grabbing something out of her open bag along the way.

Pissed but strangely amused at the same time, I started to undress myself. I shed my shoes and socks, hung the suit jacket together with the vest and shirt over the back of a chair, and stripped out of my pants. For a minute, I debated if I should sleep in the nude as I usually did, but decided it would be more prudent, and considering Bella's temper, probably safer for me to sleep in the flannel sleep pants and white wife beater I'd packed in my overnight bag to be prepared for all possibilities. When I'd gathered my stuff the other day, I'd only pictured me wearing this if my wife turned out to be an ugly duckling, not a beautiful Swan who refused to let me touch her.

I was just done and about to crawl into bed when Bella emerged from the bathroom, wearing purple pajamas that weren't altogether unattractive. She was mostly covered up, but her hair was completely down, falling in soft, chestnut waves around her shoulders. She halted for a moment when she spotted me about to climb into bed, then continued on, slipping under the covers on the opposite side from me. She stayed on the very edge, but turned to look at me as I lay down closer to the middle.

"I know we have to share this bed for tonight, but if you try something or so much as touch me in your sleep, I'll make sure you won't be up for any funny business for a while, capiche?" She glared at me like a kitten who tried to be a lioness, and I couldn't fight the answering smile.

"I'll stay in my half if you stay in yours. Now, good night, Spice. Sweet dreams." Grinning to myself, confident she'd be too worked up to sleep any time soon, I rolled over and switched off the lamp. I heard her huff in annoyance and chuckled to myself before I fell into a quite restful sleep.

****TtK****

I woke up when the sun was already shining brightly into the room. It took me a moment to remember where I was, and not jump up and scream like a girl when I noticed a fan of brown tresses next to me. Apparently, Bella hadn't moved an inch during the night. She was still turned away from me, on the edge of the bed, at least a foot of space between us. Now, I wasn't a cuddler, but I wouldn't have minded waking up to her rubbing against my junk. Well, as they say, hope dies last.

Propping myself up on one elbow, I watched my wife sleep peacefully.

 _My wife_. It still sounded strange, although I had to admit _Bella Masen_ had a certain ring to it. She was really beautiful, even without makeup and with her hair unkempt. Her lithe body was covered in silk, which weirdly made it look even more tempting to touch her.

It didn't take long until I had to stop my stalkerish behavior and act as though I'd only just woken up myself, because Bella was starting to stir. For a few more minutes, she tried to stay asleep until I grew too impatient.

"Have you noticed? This bed is six-feet wide. You don't have to make do just with one foot, you know?" I smirked at my witty greeting.

A very sleepy Bella turned around, squinting her eyes at me. "Oh my, it wasn't a dream," she rasped out in a sleep-hoarse voice.

"Nope, I'm real. A regular Prince Charming."

Spice groaned beside me, rolled over and got up, closing and locking the bathroom door behind her. A couple minutes later, I heard the shower turn on and sighed, resigning myself to picturing my sexy wife in the shower … naked … touching herself … lathering herself up. Dammit! Now my morning wood got rock-solid, and I couldn't wait for my own turn in the shower to take care of it. I doubted Spice was any more inclined to help me out than she was last night.

I lay in bed, thinking about dead puppies and naked, wrinkly grandmas when the bathroom door finally opened and Bella emerged, dressed in black sweatpants and a gray T-shirt, her hair wet and wavy.

Before my hard-on could return and get me into even deeper shit than I was already, I jumped off the bed and made my escape to the bathroom.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Well, I guess we just witnessed a disaster, lol. Would any of you have gone for Edward's cocky bluntness? Or do we have to applaud Bella for her steadfastness? How long will she be able to keep it up, though?

Let's take a look at next chapter to maybe get some clues:

… _Now that his upper body was bare, I found a little red and white mushroom on his left pec that reminded me of a video game I played as a child and a power sign on his lower belly which appeared to be made up from binary numbers. …_

Dammit! I'd love to see THAT! Does it mean she gave in? Or how did she get to peek at his chest? Tell me here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_. There's a manip of Edward in all his tatted glory there.

See you in two weeks.


	7. Chapter 7 - Off On The Wrong Foot

**A/N:** Hi! Now that the wedding night is over — which, to the regret of many readers, didn't go the way they wanted — we'll see where the honeymoon will take our newlyweds and what they'll make of it.

I'm eternally grateful to my team, **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** , and **LaPumuckl** for donating their precious time to help me with this. I can't tell you enough how much it means to me.

Now, enjoy reading the start of the honeymoon. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married At First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 7 – Off On the Wrong Foot

~Bella~

I sat on the bed in our honeymoon suite, waiting for my husband — the word hadn't gotten any easier to use overnight — to emerge from the bathroom, and thought back to the previous evening.

My friends had all congratulated me on my hot-as-fuck husband; Tanya and Jess not holding back their many ideas what they'd love to do to him. Even my mother had told me, much to my chagrin, he could put his shoes under her bed any time. I shuddered at the mere thought of that happening.

I had to admit they were right, as far as their comments on Edward's looks went. He really was more than handsome; his mesmerizing green eyes even made me dizzy at times. Unfortunately, his personality seemed to stand in clear contrast to his incredible beauty. First, he was angry when I didn't allow him to kiss me on the lips, then he started with the suggestive comments. He didn't seem to be very picky when it came to food because he obviously didn't mind the chef's shortcomings the way I did at our reception. Then again, no one I knew took food as seriously as I did.

 _Occupational hazard,_ I guessed.

I didn't know what to make of his reactions to my criticism. At first, he seemed irritated, maybe even annoyed, then later, he appeared to be amused. At least he asked for my opinions.

Dancing with Edward was torture. Just like with our first dance, he knew how to move his well-defined body and had no problem leading me to do as he pleased. That alone wouldn't have been too bad. His fingers on my back, his hand around mine, and his breath on my neck had me worked up pretty quickly. It had taken a lot of effort to not moan and whimper in the presence of our guests — and I didn't want to let on he was getting to me.

Later, in our suite, he actually seemed to think I was going to let him get some. But that wasn't like me. I wasn't a prude, by any stretch, which I was sure my ex-boyfriends would be willing to confirm. However, I wasn't one to jump into bed with the next best guy. Yes, we were married, but no matter how hot my husband was, and regardless of how horny I was, I needed or rather wanted some kind of emotional connection before I'd allow that kind of intimacy between us — much to Edward's dismay. His cocky attitude and persistence in trying to get me to give in annoyed me to no end.

Regardless, goose bumps erupted all over my skin and my nipples started to pebble at the memory of how he'd pressed his body against mine last night, and how his lips had grazed my neck. I was roused from my daze when the bathroom door swung open, and a wet Edward, only covered by a towel hanging low on his hips, emerged. His dripping hair was a much darker shade of bronze now, and a light stubble adorned his chiseled jaw.

What had my mouth hanging open, though, was the view of his perfectly-defined abs. He wasn't ripped by any means, but his muscles were exactly the right amount of toned. I was also surprised to find two more tattoos on his torso, in addition to the tribal on his right upper arm that had already been visible when he was wearing the wife beater to bed last night. Now that his upper body was bare, I found a little red and white mushroom on his left pec that reminded me of a video game I played as a child and a power sign on his lower belly which appeared to be made up from binary numbers.

I must have been close to drooling over the sight in front of me, because I heard Edward chuckle and remind me that I wasn't alone.

"See something you like?" he asked with a mocking smirk on his kissable lips.

Literally saved by the bell, I jumped off the bed as though it were on fire and raced for the door. I opened it to two guys in hotel livery who had two carts with them, both laden with stainless steel domes.

"Good morning. Your breakfast has arrived," one of them greeted me. In stunned silence, I let them pass me and followed them into the bedroom, where Edward was now dressed in black lounge pants and a white T-shirt.

They both wished him a good morning prior to explaining they'd brought us a selection of their breakfast specialties, courtesy of the house. Leaving the carts by the bed, they said their goodbyes and left us to our own devices.

Without speaking much, Edward and I loaded our plates with small helpings of each dish, then climbed back on the bed, sitting with our backs against the headboard, two feet apart, chewing in an awkward silence.

Edward was the first to speak when he was halfway through the food on his plate. "No complaints so far?"

I wasn't sure if he was trying to annoy me or if it was earnest curiosity. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I took it for the latter. "This is pretty good. I guess the idiot from last night doesn't work the breakfast shift."

Next to me, Edward only nodded, shoving another forkful of eggs into his mouth. Several minutes passed again without either of us speaking a word, and I decided it was time to clear the air.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot last night." Looking up, I noticed I had Edward's attention, so I continued. "I'm sorry you took my not letting you kiss me and not wanting to have sex as a personal rejection, but it wasn't. It has nothing to do with you. It's just not the way I roll. Yes, I feel attracted to you, but I need to know a man before I have sex with him."

Letting my words sink in, Edward finished off the last of his breakfast. Then he changed his sitting position to an angle where he could look at me better.

"Well, then I think we'd better get to work. What do you want to know?"

For a moment, I considered everything I didn't know about him and decided to start with the basics.

"I'm twenty-six. How old are you?"

Amused by the simplicity of the question, Edward smiled. "I'm twenty-eight."

He looked at me expectantly, prompting me to continue. "What do you do for a living?"

After swallowing the bite in his mouth, he washed it down with a big gulp of coffee. "I have a degree in computer science from NYU and work in the IT department of a big accounting firm."

"That sounds … exciting," I said with apprehension.

"It's not," Edward assured. "So, you cook for a living."

Pushing a bite of bacon around my plate, I answered him without delay. "Yeah. I came to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America and graduated with a bachelor's degree."

"You're not from New York, then?" Edward's brows rose with apparent curiosity.

"No, I'm not. I'm from Forks, Washington. I doubt you've ever heard of it. It's tiny. Jake and I made a mad dash out of there as soon as we graduated from high school."

Edward got himself another pancake and drowned it in maple syrup and whipped cream. "You didn't like it there?"

"Not really. I lived with my dad and his wife, but other than Jake, I didn't have many friends. I guess I'm not made for small-town life. And Jake, being the only openly gay guy, stuck out like a sore thumb." I winced, remembering the stares, pointing fingers, and whispered insults he'd had to bear. For him, even more than for me, leaving our hometown was the best thing to do.

I thought Edward would start asking questions about Jake now, but instead, he went in another direction. "Why didn't you introduce me to your dad last night?"

That was something I wasn't keen on discussing, but I guessed he deserved an answer. "That's because he decided not to come. He wasn't happy with my getting married like that. And my step-dad had to work. He's a baseball coach and apparently has the most important game of the season today. That's why my mom came alone."

Edward didn't immediately reply, so I continued my questioning. "Are _you_ from New York?"

"No, I'm not. I'm from New Jersey. Newark to be precise."

"That's neat. So you see your parents a lot?"

Before Edward could reply, there was a knock on the door, and I got up to answer whoever was on the other side. In the hall stood a small camera crew with a boom mic and two big lamps.

"Hi, I'm Garrett. I'm the director of your segment of the experiment. These are Tyler, Collin, Emily, and Claire," he explained, motioning to the four people with him. "They're your camera crew for the next six weeks. Congratulations, by the way. Now, where's the happy groom?"

Stunned into silence but nodding to everyone in passing, I let them into our suite, and after closing the door behind them, I followed to find my sexy husband right where I'd left him. Garrett explained to Edward who he was while the others were busy setting up the lights. I continued on to the bed and sat in the spot I had vacated a few minutes ago.

"We're going to have a little chat while the camera's rolling." Right on cue, a little red light on the camera became visible and the mic was raised in our direction. "You don't have to look into the lens. You can look at me. That will make the conversation flow more naturally. Okay, I'd like to know what your first night together was like."

I started to nibble on my bottom lip while I noticed Edward running his hand through his hair. Over the couple hours I'd known him, I'd already learned it was mostly a nervous habit. Garrett looked at us expectantly, and I stole a glance over at my husband, who suddenly had a smug smirk on his face.

"We sure made good use of the size of the bed." Wiggling his eyebrows at me suggestively, he seemed to wait for me to contradict him.

For a long moment, my mouth hung open in shock, but I shook it off and turned toward Garrett. "Yeah, him on one end and me on the other."

I turned my head again to pierce Edward with a glare, but he feigned hurt, placing his hand over his heart. "You wound me, Spice. Am I so hideous that you have to make sure no one thinks you let me touch you?" His eyes were twinkling playfully, waiting for my backfire.

My eyes briefly wandered to Garrett, who was watching us with amused excitement.

"No, you're not hideous and your biggest problem is that you know it. But I'm not that easy. You have to put in a little more effort than dishing out standard lines."

We glared at each other, my chest heaving with agitation. I wasn't going to let him cheapen me and our possible relationship by telling the world intimate details that were lies to boot.

Garrett cleared his throat, pulling us out of our staring match. "So, I take it nothing R-rated happened here last night?"

"No," I replied pointedly. "We simply went to bed."

"And what about this morning?" Garrett pressed on.

I huffed. "We each took a shower and had breakfast."

Beside me, Edward chuckled evilly. "I don't know about you, but I surely took care of business while I was in there."

Again, my jaw dropped at the crudeness and insolence of his comment.

 _Cocky bastard!_

Garrett chuckled, then composed himself to go on. "Okay, so you're not on the same wavelength yet. Maybe you'll get a chance to change that over the next week. I have the honor of telling you where you'll be going on your honeymoon. Any ideas?"

"I was told to pack summer clothes, so I hope somewhere warm," I stated as a matter-of-fact.

"I only packed board shorts, so I hope she's right." For once, Edward agreed with me.

Garrett's loud guffaw was funny as hell. "I'm glad you won't have to freeze your ass off then. You're going to fly out to Cancun, Mexico this afternoon. How do you like that?"

Never in my life had I left the United States to go anywhere other than across the border to Canada, so I was thrilled to finally put my passport to good use.

"That's great," I cheered.

"When do we have to leave?" Edward added with a smile.

The director took a look at his watch. "You have an hour to change and get ready, then we'll pick you up to go to the airport. We'll see you later tonight in Mexico."

****TtK****

"So, I guess you're not up for joining the Mile High Club?" Edward asked conversationally once our plane had reached travel altitude, and the passengers around us started to relax and busy themselves.

I snorted in response. "If this is your way of putting more effort into it, then you shouldn't hold your breath, Cocky."

"Oh, Spice, you just wait 'til I make my real move. You won't know what hit you." He flashed me a smug smile, fluttering his eyelashes at me.

Fluttering my lashes right back, I replied as overly sweet as I could. "If I were you, I wouldn't wager too much on that bet."

Edward flinched slightly, returning his gaze to the tablet in his hands. "We'll see."

I had no idea where his reaction came from, but I was pleased I'd stood my ground in yet another game of verbal sparring.

After Garrett and his crew had left our suite, we'd quickly started to pack. We only had our overnight bags with us at the hotel, because our honeymoon luggage had been deposited with the production company earlier in the week.

We'd worked mostly in silence and had avoided too much interaction. Although we'd tried for a fresh start over breakfast, Edward's comments during the interview had bothered me and made me doubt his willingness for us to get to know each other.

Thinking about Edward's behavior over the past twenty-four hours made me wonder where we went off track. I reminisced about those first minutes we'd spent together. When I laid eyes on him, standing at the end of the aisle, I'd felt something stir in me. Our first touch solidified the hope there could be something between us. But my refusal to kiss him on the lips seemed to have changed everything. While he appeared to be happy and delighted by the fact I was his bride, he turned snappy and cocky, never saying anything serious or letting things get to him.

If only I knew how to go back to how we were when we first met without having to compromise my own moral standards.

****TtK****

Somewhere in the distance, I heard a tinny voice ramble about local times, temperatures, and humidity as the pillow under my head started to move. Startling into partial wakefulness, I realized my pillow was Edward's shoulder and the voice in my ears was the captain, announcing our descent into Cancun.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Did you rest well?" Edward greeted me in a mocking tone. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had a hard night last night."

 _Aaand my annoyance is back!_

Quickly, I sat up straight, bringing as much space between Mr. Cocky and myself as the narrow row of seats in the airplane allowed.

"Maybe, if you hadn't been snoring like a freight train, I'd have gotten some rest last night." I knew it was a low blow and a lie as well, but Edward had the talent to bring out the snarky bitch in me that normally didn't get to see the light of day much.

He snorted in reply. "Nice try, Spice," was all he said as he concentrated back on the screen in his hands.

****TtK****

Two hours later, we'd arrived at our hotel, where we both took a quick shower to wash off the travel grime, before Garrett and the team were supposed to arrive for our daily filming time.

"Do you think you could refrain from making lewd comments for the duration of tonight's shoot?" I asked Edward as I emerged from the bathroom, securing the second one of my silver hoop earrings I'd decided to wear for our first dinner in Mexico.

"Naw, you wouldn't want me to …" Edward trailed off as his eyes rose from his phone and took in my appearance.

I'd opted to wear a short sundress in a rich royal blue. Tanya and Jess had coerced me into a shopping trip in preparation for the honeymoon, and this dress was a result of their urging. Apparently, Edward liked it as much as my friends did — maybe a bit more. I could practically feel his eyes on my legs, which were exposed up to mid-thigh, then they traveled on to my cleavage where they lingered before his hooded gaze finally met mine.

"You were saying?" I asked in mock annoyance. To be honest, I was quite pleased I could render him speechless like that.

I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, then he looked away. "Uhm, I was saying … what were we talking about again?"

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. Turning to open it, I looked back at Edward over my shoulder. "I asked you to behave yourself."

A playful "yes, _M_ _om_ ," was all the answer I got.

 _Dammit, that man is so infuriating!_

****TtK****

We were sitting at a small table in a secluded part of the hotel restaurant; Garrett's team plus Heidi only a couple of feet away. Considering we had a camera pointed at us and a boom mic hanging on our every word, which was still somewhat strange to us, conversation was dragging to the point of being non-existent.

With the pure minimum of interaction, we'd ordered our meal, me with a glass of Californian wine, Edward with a bottle of Corona. The drinks now standing in front of us, we both traced the rims of our glasses.

Apparently, silence wasn't very thrilling to our audience, because after a few minutes, Garrett felt the need to initiate some interaction between us. "Why don't you tell each other a bit about vacations you've taken prior to this one?"

 _That shouldn't be too hard._

I cleared my throat, took a sip of my wine, then dove right in. "I haven't traveled much. I've been to Canada a handful of times, considering it's across the border from Washington. Since I've moved to New York, we've been to the Hamptons on occasion, but I've never really gone anywhere interesting until today. Have you?"

For the first time since we left our room, I looked at Edward, waiting to hear from him. Had he seen a lot of the world, maybe even been to Europe? I'd always wanted to go, but apart from the time necessary to actually see some of the continent, I never had the money for extended travels.

"When I was a kid, my parents took me some places in the summer, but we never went anywhere exotic, either. I've been to Toronto once, and after graduating from college, Emmett, Seth, and I went to California for a week. This is my first real trip outside the US, too." He took a sip of his beer, deliberating what to say next. "You told me this morning that you're originally from Washington. Did you always live there?"

I was kind of surprised he remembered. "No, I didn't." I raised my glass to my lips, tasting the full-bodied Pinot Noir. "My parents got divorced when I was still little. I stayed with my mom who has been rather restless for a long time. She moved us around the country, every move taking us farther away from Forks. First, we lived in Port Angeles, then Seattle. When I was eight, we moved to San Diego, then two years later to Phoenix. There she met Phil, my step-dad. Due to his job, he had to travel a lot, so I decided to go live with my dad and step-mom back in Forks instead. My mom and Phil moved to Jacksonville, Florida, three years ago, and it seems they're going to stay there."

Edward raised his brows in wonder. "Dammit! That's a lot of moves. I was born in Newark and lived there until I went off to college." Shaking his head a few times, he turned serious. "Was it hard on you ... the divorce and your mom and dad remarrying?"

Like when Esme asked me about my step-parents, I didn't have to think about my reply for long. "No, it wasn't. I was four when Renée and Charlie separated, but they never actually fought. They've remained friends to this day. Charlie and Phil meet for a fishing trip once a year, and Renée and Sue go to a spa while their husbands are away. Both my parents have been remarried for a long time. I never felt like a child from a broken home. I just have two sets of parents."

Both my mom and dad had always made it a point to ensure I felt welcomed and wanted, no matter what was going on in their lives. My step-parents had readily accepted me as part of their relationship, and everyone was getting along very well. Aside from happily married parents, I doubtlessly had grown up with the next best thing.

"Wow. I'm sure that's rare," Edward said, shaking his head in surprise.

"I know it is." Sipping from my glass, I pondered what I knew about his family. "So, your parents have been married for how long? Thirty years or so? That doesn't happen a lot nowadays, either."

Edward smiled to himself. It wasn't the sexy or cocky smirk he used to throw my way at every turn, but a sweet, almost shy little smile.

"They've been together for thirty-six years; married for thirty-two."

Although it was kind of cliché, I swooned a bit at his words. "That sounds really romantic. You must have had the perfect childhood."

An amused chuckle-snort made me gaze at my husband, waiting for an explanation. "You would think so up until you catch them having sex in the living room, kitchen, and on the dining room table while they think you're at science club or over at a friend's place. Dammit! Those visuals were the best campaign for abstinence you can imagine. It took me until college to overcome that." He chuckled, smiling wistfully. "Maybe having divorced parents isn't the worst thing."

Now it was my place to chuckle. "If you think that fact kept me from running in on my mom and Phil doing kinky role plays or listening in on my dad telling Sue she was, and I quote, 'one sexy momma,' while I heard skin slap against skin, you're sadly mistaken."

I remembered those moments and the embarrassment that followed, but reliving them with Edward like this made me laugh so hard it brought tears to my eyes.

With a sigh, Edward said, "Wow, our families are a real disturbed bunch. I guess we're pretty evenly matched."

And for the first time since his reaction to my pulling away from his impending kiss, I felt like we might, indeed, have a chance.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Do they? Have a chance I mean? If Edward drops the attitude, he can be quite a nice guy. But will it last? We'll see. Here's a little sneak peek:

… " _Sounds like you have a whole harem of satisfied customers." She growled then whirled around, grabbing a few pieces of clothing, and stormed off into the bathroom. …_

What did he do now? He has a real talent for putting his foot in his mouth. And they seemed to be on such good terms. Apparently, they still have a long way ahead of them. Tell me what you think, like, hate or whatever, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction._

See you in two weeks.


	8. Chapter 8 - Bipolar

**A/N:** Hi and welcome to Mexico. Last chapter, it seemed like our newlyweds were finally getting closer. Now, who wants to find out if Edward can avoid putting his foot in his mouth?

Before I can let you read on, I want to give quick but thorough thanks to my team, **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl**. They take my writing and magically change it into something worth reading. And another very special thank-you goes out to **Midnight Cougar** for, once again, rec'ing this story on _The Lemonade Stand_. It's so great to have you in my corner ;).

Okay, now it's time to find out how our couple is getting along. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 8 – Bipolar

~Edward~

Day two of our honeymoon in Mexico started with a joint interview right after another breakfast from room service. The prior evening had actually been … nice — up until the moment we entered our room. Until then, we'd chatted about our families, made fun about the sexual deviants our parents seemed to be, and quickly forgot about the camera pointed at our faces. I was stunned by the way Bella had ordered her wine, asking about the vintage as well as the exact vineyard it came from. I'd never been much of a wine drinker so the seriousness she showed was foreign but fascinating to me.

After that, we ordered our dinner. I went with what sounded appealing to me, whereas my _wife_ dissected the menu into pieces, shuffling things around and creating completely new dishes. The waiter looked at her as though she had grown a second head, while I chuckled quietly to myself. My Spice had come out full force, which I'd come to expect by then whenever food was involved.

Watching her eat was a mixture of torture at her pleasurable moans, enchantment at her expression of pure bliss whenever she really liked something, and entertainment when she criticized the usage of one herb over another. Listening to her go on about spices and the like made me look at my food, or rather taste it, with a whole new appreciation.

We finished dinner and dessert in good spirits, only for things to turn awkward when we returned to our room. Garrett and his crew had graciously left us to our own devices once we'd departed the restaurant, and we'd chatted about the next day's schedule up until I'd opened the door and let her enter first. From there, things went downhill.

All night, Bella had sat with her long, sexy legs under the table, hidden from my prying eyes, and I'd worked hard not to ogle them on our way up to our room. When she passed by and walked in front of me, though, I felt a good portion of my blood leave my brain and rush to my quickly-stiffening dick.

Dammit, it hadn't even been three full days since I'd last had sex, but my balls felt as blue as a high school freshman's who was hopelessly drooling over the head cheerleader. Bella's dress wasn't obscenely short, and her heels weren't as high as many other women liked to wear, but the play of her muscles as they moved with every step was a delicious torture that made my erection throb painfully. There was no denying I wanted my _wife_ ; I couldn't remember ever wanting another woman that much.

Closing the door behind me, I followed her into the room. We stood in uncomfortable silence, apparently neither of us knowing what to say or do. It took a couple of minutes until Bella was the first one to speak up.

"I guess I'll go ahead and use the bathroom to get ready for bed."

The horny bastard in me took control of my tongue before I even got the chance to stop myself. "Or you could let me take that dress off you, and we'll see how often I can make you come in one night."

 _Fuck!_ I knew with only one sentence, I'd ruined our whole night.

Bella narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, which, unfortunately, made her tits almost spill out of her neckline. I worked hard to bite back the moan that wanted out, knowing it would only make matters worse.

"You're damn sure of yourself, huh, Cocky?" Bella asked, scowling daggers at me.

The smug smirk that spread across my face just couldn't be contained. "No one ever complained, Spice."

I knew I shouldn't have said that, but apparently, my verbal filter had left the building three sentences ago — probably via my blue balls.

"Sounds like you have a whole harem of satisfied customers." She growled then whirled around, grabbing a few pieces of clothing, and stormed off into the bathroom.

Shit! Although I was quite sure I never sent any girl home without getting off, I'd made it sound like I'd tested my skills on half the population of the greater New York area, while I'd only ever had sex with twelve women.

The rest of the evening went by in a hostile atmosphere, with Bella calling me "Casanova" and "gigolo" several times and the both of us — again — at opposite ends of the bed.

"What was your night like after we left you?" Garrett's question pulled me back to the interview at hand. "You were getting along well during dinner."

That we were — until I unleashed the "Cocky" monster.

"We went to bed pretty much as soon as we were up here," Bella answered nonchalantly, not giving me the chance to come up with something to say.

I was impressed how cool and relaxed she appeared to be; although she was still pissed at me, which was undeniable considering the way she curtly asked only about things she couldn't handle without my input or grunted out replies whenever I dared to speak to her. That tension all but left the room when I went to let the camera crew into the room.

"To do what?" Garrett inquired with an amused grin on his face.

Bella again jumped to reply. "We were exhausted from the flight and slept for almost twelve hours straight."

 _She_ definitely did. _Me_ , not so much. I'd lain awake for at least two hours after Bella switched off the light, telling myself what a colossal idiot I was for setting her off like that.

Garrett appeared to be disappointed by the lack of juicy details, but he pulled himself together and changed the subject. "What are you doing today? Any special plans?"

This whole camera thing was really stupid. As if Garrett didn't have the same written schedule we had gotten. But, of course, the viewers didn't know.

"We're going to the beach today, to relax and acclimate, maybe join in some fun stuff. We'll see." I couldn't tell him more because, although the sheet said "beach" for today, there weren't any details as to what that would entail. Essentially, it was all about Bella and me getting to know each other.

"Cut," Garrett said, and the crew members all lowered their devices. "Well then, I guess you two get changed, and we'll meet you at the beach in two hours."

It took them a couple minutes to gather all their stuff and leave our suite.

"Thank you," I muttered, fidgeting with my plate and utensils.

Bella froze beside me. "What was that?"

It wasn't like me to thank people for little things or apologize for stuff, but I was aware Bella had saved me from looking like a jerk on TV.

This time, my voice was firmer. "I said 'thank you' … for not telling on me."

Narrowing her eyes at me, Bella replied, "That was for my own sake as much as it was for yours. You were an ass last night, but that's nobody's business but ours, and I'd like to keep it that way. So, as long as you can keep your tongue in check in front of the camera, I won't rat you out. We're here for a reason, and I definitely want to give it a try."

I was impressed by Bella's determination. Up until now, I hadn't questioned her motives for being on the show. Although I was aware money probably wasn't the reason, I'd considered the whole concept as so harebrained I couldn't imagine anyone participating to actually find a partner for life. She was a mystery to me, but even after only two days, it was clear she was not only sexier and more beautiful than she realized, but strong, witty, and stubborn as hell. I couldn't help think she was in this for much more honorable reasons than I was.

Whatever it was she wanted from me, I was intrigued and attracted enough to go along with it.

****TtK****

Half hour later, we'd made it down to the beach, a hollowed-out coconut containing a creamy concoction in our hands, making ourselves comfortable on a set of sun loungers under a big parasol.

Placing my tablet, iPod, and towel on the table in the middle, I plopped down on one side, putting my arms behind my head. Bella, who had emerged from the bathroom in a long, flowing green sundress, kept standing, shaking her head a bit as she looked down at me with a slight frown.

"Nice, really nice," she murmured as she carefully put her Kindle, phone, and towel down.

Looking around, she turned away from me, grabbed the hem of her dress and lifted it up above her head, revealing her milky white body that was only scantily clad in scraps of royal blue Lycra. The top of her bikini was held up by two thin strings; the bottoms barely covering her nice round ass.

Laying down the green garment, she partly turned her front to me, letting me catch sight of several dark swirls of ink that emerged from the front of her pantie-like bathing suit, wrapping around her right hip; a mysterious part of the artwork presumably hidden by the small piece of cloth. In the center of her belly, there was a piercing, enhancing her smooth, flat stomach.

Uninvited, my brain started to imagine my fingers playing with the jewelry, then slowly dragging down the offending fabric, uncovering what lay beneath. I couldn't help picturing how I'd lean in, my mouth and tongue tracing the lines of the design she'd decided to decorate her perfect skin with, only increasing the appeal she already had to me.

My erection was pitching a tent in my board shorts, and before Spice could turn around and see me for the pervert I was, I quickly picked up my towel and threw it across my midriff to hide the evidence of my arousal.

She must have caught it, though, because the corner of her mouth twitched up while she tried to appear aloof. Without glancing at me, she sat down on her lounger, took her Kindle in her hand, and started reading. Trying to distract myself from the erotic sight beside me and what I wanted to do to her, I grabbed my tablet and logged into our server at home to see what progress Em and Seth had made with our game.

We sat in silence for a long time, each of us tapping on our screen every now and then until Bella eventually huffed in what sounded like frustration, lowering her reading device to stare at me.

"What is it you're doing with that thing all the time? Whenever you're not eating or being filmed or hitting on me, you tap away on that toy." Her tone was a mixture of annoyance and genuine interest.

Without putting the tablet down or even meeting her eyes, I answered, "I'm doing some work."

That was when Garrett and the team showed up in front of us, immediately setting up their equipment to get the camera rolling.

"Hey, looks like you started on an interesting topic. Why don't you just continue talking about your jobs while we're trying to be invisible," he suggested as he placed a chair a few feet toward the water, facing us, and sat down.

I held in the snort that wanted out. As if we were able to ignore six people hovering around us while we dove headfirst into another fight.

We kept quiet for a long while until Bella began to speak in an overly sweet voice. "You were telling me what it is that you do on that little toy of yours." She pointed to my high-end tablet computer.

"This little _toy_ ,as you call it, is the latest model of mobile technology on the market." It took me a lot to keep the ire out of my tone. Of course, she didn't know me, but she'd soon find out I took my gadgets very seriously. "Right now, I was checking in on a project I'm doing with Em and Seth to see how far they've gotten over the last couple days."

"What kind of project is that? We're on our honeymoon. Shouldn't you have left your work at home?" Bella's brows were drawn together in irritation.

Looking over to her, I smiled to take away the sting. "I wouldn't go so far to call it work. We developed a computer game. It started out as a hobby, but we're about to complete it and launch it soon." I purposefully left out any information about the monetary side or the timing of the launch.

"Huh. That explains the Toad tat," Bella mused, a little smirk playing on her lips. "So you're not only boring Mister IT, but you moonlight as a closeted video game nerd?"

"Laugh all you want, Spice," I replied, my attention back on the tab. "We'll see who has the last laugh."

After a huff, Bella redirected her attention toward what was happening around us on the beach, while I resumed tapping away on my computer, chancing glances at my wife's long, slender legs, the ink caressing her hip, or the swell of her breasts under the blue bikini top. It went without saying that I frequently had to readjust the towel draped over my lap as Bella was either oblivious to the perusal of my eyes or did a great job appearing indifferent. And thank god the camera didn't zoom in on that area.

****TtK****

"I tell you, Em, I'm going crazy here. I seem to have lost part of my brain the minute I said _yes_."

I heard my best friend chuckle at the other end of the line, while I rubbed my free hand over my face in exasperation.

"You're telling me the old Masen charm isn't working on your hot-ass wife?"

Groaning, I closed my eyes to get my thoughts organized. "Nothing is working on her. One minute, we have the best time, discussing our perverted parents, and the next, my tongue runs off with the bluntest pick-up line possible. That always makes her fly off the handle, and we either have a stand-off, or she runs out of the room. I haven't touched her since the day of our wedding. She's making me walk around with a constant hard-on while being pissed at me most of the time. This is not how I imagined things going."

I plopped down on the bed and covered my eyes with my arm. I knew I was treading on thin ice, having this conversation with Bella in the next room, but I figured, as long as the water in the shower kept running, I was reasonably safe.

The rest of our afternoon had been a real roller coaster ride for me. Garrett and the guys got bored with our lack of communication and encouraged Bella, who'd entertained herself watching a volleyball game, to join in when one of the players sprained her ankle and had to take a seat on the sideline. From there on, with her tits bobbing with every move, my dick was throbbing painfully.

While one camera was pointed at my wife and her game, Garrett had taken the opportunity to interview me on my opinion of our marriage so far. I couldn't imagine him getting much usable footage out of me because, in my own perception, I was a drooling mess.

After the game, Spice had gone for a swim to cool down. I was dying to join her and maybe engage in a few water games, but with my erection trying to break free from my swim trunks, I had no other choice than to stay where I was with the towel across my lap.

I'd almost gotten the beast to go back to sleep when Bella emerged from the ocean, little droplets of water running down her luscious curves. And cue the throbbing.

"Well, Ed, sounds like you're in deep shit." Emmett's voice reminded me that I'd called him for some advice. "But why is it a problem? Weren't you supposed to get through the six weeks and then get a divorce? Does it matter if she likes you or not?"

He was right. My plan had been to get married, live through the six weeks and collect the money, but what I hadn't taken into account was that I could grow attached to my wife. I wouldn't go as far as saying I was in love with her. Hell, I'd only known her for two days, and I wasn't the falling-in-love-and-getting-all-cozy type, but for some odd reason, I felt the need to get on her good side. Sure, she was hot, and I wouldn't mind getting a taste of her, but strangely, that took a back burner to trying to get to know her and wanting her to like me. The only problem was that, apparently, she instinctively knew how to push every one of my buttons.

"It doesn't matter to _me_ , but there's a clause in my contract that says I need to do my best to try and make this marriage work. If they catch me openly sabotaging it, I'll have to pay a contractual fee instead of getting the money we need. So I have to at least play nice unless she openly provokes me." _And I want her to like me._

"Then I guess you have your work cut out for you. And I don't envy you. I know Rosie can be a tough nut, but at least I know how to get her to purr, if you know what I mean."

I could practically see Em waggling his brows suggestively.

"Em!" I groaned. "You're so not helping!"

He chuckled deeply, obviously amused with my predicament. "Okay, okay. How about you keep it light, talk about your friends – except for Vic – and your hobbies, or your parents and childhood. Maybe you can find some common ground and score after all. Until then, go rub one out in the shower as often as you can. Oh, and with a wife who's a chef, you'll at least get a decent meal each day, because, let me tell you, bro, you suck in the kitchen – at household chores in general." Emmett's boisterous laugh made me move the phone away from my head to save my ear drum from bursting.

Just when he seemed to calm down, I heard the water in the bathroom stop. I knew I was in danger of being discovered and would have to answer some very uncomfortable questions if Spice knew I'd called my friend for moral support.

"Em, I gotta go. My _wife_ is out of the shower, and I can't risk her overhearing us. I'll call you again when I can. Until then, we'll text. Tell Seth and the others I said hi."

****TtK****

After I'd taken a shower myself and, for once, taken Em's asinine advice to heart and taken matters into my own hand, I emerged from the bathroom to find my wife all dressed and ready for dinner. If I hadn't relieved a certain amount of stress, I'd have gone stir crazy seeing what she'd chosen to wear. She was dressed to kill in a navy-colored dress that clung to her body like a second skin and ended halfway down her thighs. To top off the way-too-sexy look, it was off one shoulder and see-through from just below her breasts down to below her waist, showing off the piercing and the black swirls.

My tongue was tingling with a bunch of expletives, as well as the urge to hit on her in the bluntest of ways. Apparently, she was trying to kill me. However, I pulled myself together, took a deep breath, and closed the highest button of my shirt before I painted a smile on my face.

"You look beautiful tonight, Bella," I managed to get out in a rough voice.

Her eyes rose from the Kindle in her hand as she sat up straight in the armchair by the window; a little smirk playing around her glossy lips.

"Thanks. I'm surprised you remember my name." Her tone was more snide than sad, so I knew my nickname didn't really hurt her. She might be a bit annoyed by it, but I was quite sure she didn't seriously mind, and instead, tried to get a rise out of me.

"Of course, I do. You're Mrs. Edward Masen." I couldn't hold back the grin but tried to tone it down to not look too smug.

Narrowing her eyes at me, she only grunted in response, and I let it go for now.

"Are you ready to go to dinner?"

Bella put away the e-book reader and rose from here seat, slipping into a pair of four-inch strappy heels.

 _Yep! Definitely trying to kill me. Death by blue balls. Nice – not!_

"Sure. Let's go. I'm dying to find out if the chef's able to make some decent quesadillas."

One corner of my mouth rose at the realization that my Spice was back. As she took my offered arm after a brief moment of hesitation, there was the same jolt I'd felt when our hands touched for the first time at our wedding ceremony and every other time I'd had the pleasure to feel her skin on mine.

****TtK****

I had no idea how it happened, but during dinner, we warmed up to each other, or more precisely, Bella dropped her ice-queen act, and we had a good time. The tacos and quesadillas paired with a bottle of Corona seemed to be sort of plain, but we both agreed they were delicious, and my wife enjoyed the rather simple Mexican food.

"I hadn't pegged you for a beer kind of gal," I commented, shaking my head in amusement.

Bella chewed a few times, then swallowed the mouthful of deliciousness. "Oh, I'm actually an almost-everything kind of gal. If it's prepared well, there isn't much I absolutely don't like."

Now she had me intrigued. "Okay, for the sake of getting to know my wife and never ordering the wrong take-out, what is it you really don't eat?"

Trying to ignore how she wrapped her full, pink lips around the neck of the bottle, I waited for her to give me an answer.

"Well, I don't eat brains — ever. I had to try it in college, but I almost choked it up again. It's gross. The same goes for tongue, every kind of feet, and penises. You know, basically all that stuff the people on _Fear Factor_ had to eat, although some insects are surprisingly quite tasty when fried."

She finished her statement by putting another bite of food in her mouth.

"Huh. I'm impressed you've tried all that." The idea of eating any of the aforementioned had me shuttering in disgust.

Bella simply shrugged her shoulders. "Comes with the job, I guess."

"Are there any _normal foods —_ " I made air quotes "— you don't like?"

She seemed to ponder my question for a moment. "I know it's kind of childish, but I flat-out refuse to eat Brussels sprouts. When I was a kid, I was told I wouldn't get dessert if I didn't at least eat one or two, but that was a small price to pay." That had me laughing out loud. I couldn't help picturing a little pig-tailed Bella with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed, telling her mommy and daddy she'd happily go without ice cream.

Her reaction to my outburst was a shy grin as she looked away, embarrassed.

"What else," I prompted; feeling like I'd struck a rich vein.

Bella chortled a bit, but finally gave up what I wanted to know. "I'm not a big fan of mutton, black pudding, or caviar, but I guess that's it. Everything else is fair game. Is there anything _you_ don't eat that I should know of?" she countered after finishing her list.

My likes and dislikes were definitely less particular than hers, but I told her nonetheless. "I'd never ever eat anything on your list, just to make that clear. On top of that, I'm pretty easy to please. I like almost every kind of take-out. Pizza, Chinese, and burgers make up most of my usual menu with a little Mexican, Thai or the occasional Indian dish thrown in. Every now and then, I enjoy a home-cooked meal when I visit my parents. But since I'm pretty useless in the kitchen, I have to let McDonald's and Mr. Chan take care of my daily needs."

I could only describe Bella's expression as shocked. "That's what you eat? Well, then I guess the responsibility to educate your taste buds falls to me. Sounds like a challenge, but I accept it."

We chatted for a bit more, had a few more drinks, and even shared a rich dessert. When we were eventually done eating and felt like we had to vacate our table, we decided to take a stroll along the shoreline instead of retiring to our room that early in the evening.

The night air was warm and the sand was pleasantly cold under our naked feet. The camera was keeping a welcome distance as we made our way across the beach toward the water. We didn't say much, simply enjoyed the clear air and the roar of the waves, only occasionally breaking the — for once — comfortable silence between us.

As it seemed, we weren't giving the camera or microphones much to work with, because, after only ten minutes, Garrett and the guys said their goodbyes, took our microphones with them, and left us alone.

Regardless, we continued our stroll in the same manner. At one point, Bella stopped, glancing up at the full moon that shed the ocean in an iridescent glow. Maybe it was just me, but something in the air around us shifted, and I felt an inexplicable pull to close the small distance between us.

Our bare arms touched, and I noticed Bella shiver, taking it for a sign of either cold or arousal. Whichever it was, I decided putting my arm around her shoulders would get us closer and make her feel warmer at the same time. Surprisingly, she leaned into me instead of away from me.

We stayed like that for a while, not speaking, only watching the shimmering waves in the moonlight. The close proximity combined with the way her skin felt beneath my hand made me feel brave — or stupid, depending on the point of view. My hand slowly wandered from her shoulder down to her hip, moving her in front of me to wrap my arms around her waist from behind.

Bella could have stiffened slightly, but I wasn't sure. My better judgment had taken a hike, and I was acting on pure instinct when I leaned in, letting my lips travel from the crook of her neck up to her ear. It only took a second until Bella jumped forward, bringing some distance between us, then whirling around with her hands balled into fists on her hips.

"I knew it," she spat. "It was too good to be true. I should have known you have a one-track mind."

I started to protest, telling her I only gave in to the mood, but she raised her palm, quieting me before I could get a word out.

"Save it. I'm going back to our room. And don't you dare to come back until I'm asleep. I've had enough of you for today."

With that, she stormed off, leaving me to stare after her retreating form.

 _Dammit! I did it again! I fucked up._

The six weeks until this ended seemed like an unbearably long time to me at that moment. Since the instant I laid eyes on Bella, my moods had changed so often with every up and down that I almost felt bipolar. I couldn't wait to be done with it all.

But what if I wouldn't see her again after the show ended?

********TtK********

 **A/N:** I know, Team Edward is about ready to rip Bella's head off, or mine, but I promise, there's a method in my madness ;). They're both very passionate people and they clash with a bang — again, and again, and again, lol.

So, what did you like about the chapter? Was it good to get a peek into Edward's head again? He's not just a jerk but kind of insecure and hides that behind a rather big mouth. Bella needs to see a bit more of his sweet side to not always suspect a hidden agenda behind everything he does.

Now, next chapter, we'll be back in New York when "The Honeymoon Is Over." Here's a little teaser:

… " _Wow, Spice, you've been holding out on me. A vibrator and slutty undies — and here you're playing hard to get. Come on, you can give it up and let me get a taste." …_

What now? Will he ever get over his foot-in-mouth disease? Or should she just lie down and let him do what he wants? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_. There's also a — poorly done — manip of Bella's tat there ;).

See you in two weeks.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Honeymoon Is Over

**A/N:** Hi there. Welcome to all new readers and to those who've been along from the start. I'm always surprised to read your very mixed emotions about Edward and Bella. Some of you think he's too cocky and should make more effort to get to know her while others think Bella's too uptight and doesn't give him a chance. Let's see what's in store for the newlyweds this chapter.

Before I can let you read the actual chapter, I have two more things to say. First, my stories and I have been nominated in three categories for the _Fanatic Fanfiction Multifandom Awards_. _Two Blue Lines_ is up for _Favorite Complete Fanfic_ , _Tie the Knot_ is competing for _Favorite WIP Fanfic_ , and I'm nominated for _Favorite Veteran Author_. I'm feeling very honored and would ask you to go over and vote for me or whoever you like. Voting starts today. The link is in my profile.

Secondly but even more importantly, I want to thank my wonderful team for all their help and support. **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl** , you're the best!

Now, let's see what Edward and Bella are up to. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight.

******TtK******

Chapter 9 – The Honeymoon Is Over

~Bella~

 _What a fucking idiot!_

Why had I been so stupid to think he was being genuinely nice to me tonight? Of course, it had all been an act to get into my pants — or more specifically, under my skirt. He didn't care to pretend any longer than the moment he could get his paws on me.

Huffing loudly in exasperation and disappointment, I stomped my way through the sand back to our hotel.

Seriously, did he think I would fall all over myself and into his arms after one evening of decent behavior when he'd eye-fucked me the whole day? Okay, I had to admit I'd set out to … catch his attention. I'd hoped he'd like my bikini, but the way he stared at my tattoo, practically salivating at the sight, was something I hadn't anticipated. After achieving my plan, my high was quite short-lived when he, once again, reacted testily to my questions about his toy and his working during our honeymoon.

Come on, what woman wouldn't be offended if her new husband deliberately worked during their honeymoon? All the time we weren't being taped or eating, he was tapping away on that damn thing. It felt like he could either hit on me constantly or ignore me altogether, but nothing in between.

Reaching the hotel, I hurried past the reception desk and into the elevator; throwing the door to our suite shut behind me as soon as I entered. I really hoped he wouldn't dare to show his face as long as I was awake. In a way, I wanted him to follow me here so I could shout at him some more, but on the other hand, I couldn't stand to look at him for the rest of the night.

As beautiful as Mexico was, I couldn't wait to return to New York so I could throw him out of the bedroom for acting like an ass. Here, with only one bed and a couch in the same room, he was too close.

I went to the bathroom, made quick work of removing my makeup, and changed into a pair of boxers I'd stolen from Jake a while ago and an old tank top, not even bothering to look good for my so-called husband. Maybe, if I stopped trying to impress him, he'd stop thinking with his dick and start taking me seriously. Then again, I liked dressing up for him and seeing it have an effect on him.

 _Dammit! My mood swings are getting almost as bad as his!_

Pulling back the sheets, I slipped into bed, much too worked up to find sleep any time soon. Why was he acting the way he was? At times, it felt like he didn't give a damn or didn't even want to be married. But then, why go to the lengths this show demanded? At other times, he was actually sweet, asking considerate questions and sincerely looking as though he wanted to know the answer. He didn't make any sense.

I lifted my hand, moving the ring on my left into the ray of moonlight that fell into the room through the half-closed drapes. He'd chosen this ring for me before he even knew me. The gold band with the eight little diamonds sparkled in the semi-dark. It was a beautiful ring, but it was nothing I'd have picked for myself. It just wasn't my style, but I couldn't blame him for that. He'd never met me when he had to make that decision. If he had to buy it today, did he know me well enough to realize I'd be happy with a simple gold or platinum band without the flashy diamonds? Did he even care?

I huffed once more and turned to lie on my side, waiting for sleep to claim me.

****TtK****

An hour later, when the door to our room quietly opened, I was still wide-awake, staring at the ceiling, with a knot in my stomach. My thoughts were in a jumble as I considered what to do and what to change to make things work between us.

Not wanting to continue our discussion — or rather fight — I quickly closed my eyes and faked sleep to avoid another confrontation.

Edward tiptoed around the room, being careful not to make a noise and wake me. I didn't know what to think of that. Was it sweet of him to let me sleep or was it the coward in him, afraid of having to hash out another conflict tonight?

When he returned from the bathroom, he halted at my side of the bed. Judging from the noises of his breathing, he had crouched down close to my face. He stayed like that for a long minute, watching me pretend to be asleep. It took everything in me not to peek to see what he was doing.

After what felt like forever, he sighed almost sadly and went to lie down on his side of the bed. He didn't speak or move much, but I somehow felt he had as hard a time to fall asleep as I had.

We needed to make this work — somehow.

****TtK****

The next couple of days went by in the same pattern. Edward apologized in the morning, tried to play nice during the day, and somehow managed to fuck up by bedtime. I even came to expect it at some point, despite our days being more or less nice. We made a few excursions to the sights located around the resort, relaxed at the beach, and even had some deeper conversations about our childhoods, which were surprisingly similar.

Today was our last full day in Mexico, and after our morning interview with Garrett, Heidi came to our room to inform us about our schedule and what would happen once we returned to the city. She told us we were supposed to move in together during our first week after returning. That started a new round of discussions for Edward and me once she left us to our own devices.

"You're living with your friend Jake, right?" Edward asked after he seemed to have recovered from the apparent shock at the announcement.

"With Jake and Mike," I corrected. "Jake and I found this cute two-bedroom apartment in Chelsea when we first came to the city. It was pretty run-down, and therefore cheap — well, by Chelsea standards, at least. Jake has some mad handyman skills and made it into a great place. Mike only moved in about a year ago." It had been my home for the past eight years, and I loved it. Since Jake had put so much of his time and energy into the apartment, though, there had never been a question in my mind that, should we ever decide to stop living together, it would be him keeping the place.

Edward mumbled something that sounded a lot like, "Chelsea, figures."

I was about to rip him a new one for the homophobic comment when he continued louder. "I live in Midtown East with Emmett. We moved there after college. It's a two-bedroom, too, that really needs to be renovated; all we could afford at the time. He can keep it." Edward snorted. "So, I think we'll have to find something new for the two of us. Where do you work?"

" _Volturi's_ is in Little Italy." Of course, it was cliché to run an Italian restaurant in that neighborhood, but when Marcus came to the US, it was the easiest way for him, considering the ares was still essentially in Italian hands. Things had changed over the decades and so had _Volturi's._ It had started out as a pizza place but gradually shifted to modern Italian cuisine; the most recent changes and improvements having happened under my direction.

Edward smiled an amused smile. "Where else." Rubbing the back of his neck, he continued, "I work in Greenwich Village, but I'd like to stay close to my friends. Assuming you want the same, I'd suggest we start looking around Midtown South. That would be almost directly the middle between our current homes."

His points were legitimate. I'd like to stay close to Jake and Mike. Also, even though it would make sense to move farther south to be closer to work, Tan, Jess and Ange all lived uptown, as well. In addition to that, Midtown South was quite nice and the rent was still reasonable — even though the network would be paying. You never knew if, against all odds, we'd actually stay together, we should choose a place we'd be able to afford on our own.

"Midtown South, then," I confirmed with a smile.

****TtK****

Standing at the exit of Newark International Airport, our respective cars waiting outside, Edward and I were supposed to say goodbye to each other. We'd spent the past week together almost non-stop, and the idea of going our separate ways, if only for a day, felt weird.

We stood awkwardly for a long time, the camera team at an appropriate distance, neither of us knowing what to say or do. After a stretched-out moment, Edward ran his hand through his unruly locks, then met my eyes.

"Give me your phone," he demanded in a nervous tone.

Having no idea what he wanted, I reached into the back pocket of my jeans and handed him my cell, watching him suspiciously. He unlocked the screen, typed in something, and a few seconds later, his pocket began to ring.

"What are you doing?" I asked in confusion.

Edward held out my phone to me, and I stowed it away where it had been.

"I called myself so you have my number and I have yours. You know, just to be on the safe side."

Not sure how to reply, I simply nodded, rocking back and forth on my feet.

"So …" I started.

"So …?" Edward repeated as a question.

"I guess we'll see each other."

"Yeah, see you."

Neither of us wanted or dared to move in for a hug or something, so instead, like someone had given a silent command, we both turned toward the doors and headed for our cars, waving at each other in a silent goodbye.

****TtK****

"Hey, Bells! Welcome back!" Jake greeted me with a bear hug as soon as I opened the door and crossed the threshold of our still-joint home. "How was Mexico?"

"Will you let me come in first?" Laughing, I kicked the door shut behind me and followed Jake to the sofa, where Mike sat, chuckling at his boyfriend's antics.

"Sugar, let her sit and have a drink before we make her spill the beans on her totally-fuckable husband."

With a wide smile, Mike handed me a bottle of water as we plopped down next to him.

"So …?" Jake prompted, while Mike looked at me expectantly with a raised brow.

"What do you want to know?" Seeing that my honeymoon hadn't lived up to expected newlywed norms, I didn't know what to tell them.

Jake sat back and relaxed now that it seemed as though he was getting what he wanted. "We haven't talked to each other in over a week. How about we start with your wedding night?"

I should have known he'd go right for the juicy parts. That night definitely wasn't one of my fondest memories, but since misery was known to love company, I wouldn't hold back on my best friend.

"The wedding night was … frustrating. Edward did all the right things; he carried me over the threshold, led me into the room, but as soon as we were alone, he kind of expected me to be putty in his hands and do his bedroom bidding."

"Asshole," Jake muttered through clenched teeth. "I'll break his fucking nose."

In contrast, Mike looked shocked. "I hope you showed him who's boss and kicked his ass to the couch."

Unable to hold back a smile at their concern, I was quick to reassure them. "I told him that, just because he put his ring on my finger, I wasn't going to put out that easily. Getting into my pants would take a whole lot more effort on his part."

Jake smirked. "That's my girl."

I told them all about our conversation the next morning, making them relax and even smile a little, then about Edward's salacious comments during our interview and everything that followed.

"So, where does that leave you two now?" Mike, the voice of reason, asked while Jake frowned at everything he'd heard.

I exhaled loudly before resigning myself to what would come next. "Well, it's in for a penny, in for a pound. We have to go look for an apartment this week. No matter our differences, we have to see the next five weeks through and try our best to make things work. And that's what I'm going to do, come hell or high water."

"You really want to move in with him?" Jake asked in disbelief.

"It's not solely about what I want. I have to — and it makes sense. We need to find out if maybe our daily lives mesh better than our vacay selves did."

There were so many conflicting feelings raging around my head, starting with the fact that, although Edward could be a real asshole, he could also be attentive and sweet at times. Sometimes, it was as though he were two different people at once. On top of that, his cocky behavior did nothing to dispel the attraction I felt toward him. If that was even possible, I had to work harder to fight it each day.

The thought of living with him, being alone in an apartment with him for extensive periods of time, scared me to death, but excited me all the same. I wasn't ready to give up on the chance of him being my perfect match. After all, four well-known experts had paired us up. They couldn't have been completely wrong.

"I hope you won't move too far away." Jake still wasn't convinced, but I was glad to appease at least that concern.

"I won't. For now, we agreed to start looking around Midtown South. That's not too far from here, and close to Edward's current place in Midtown East he shares with his best friend. Shouldn't be too bad for either of us."

Jake pressed his lips into a tight line, then placed his hand on mine. "I'll try to get used to that. But remember, if it doesn't work out, you can always come back home."

****TtK****

Even though I'd never admit it to anyone else, I missed Edward. I could hardly admit that fact to myself. The past seven days of our _honeymoon_ , he annoyed me to no end, always making me go to sleep angry. When I slid under the covers of my empty bed tonight, though, I caught myself wondering what he was doing and if he was thinking about me too. I brushed it off as having gotten used to him being around, but somehow it didn't really work.

When I was about to fall asleep, I heard my phone on the nightstand vibrate with a message. Curious to know who would text me at this time of night, I reached over and unlocked the screen. The message greeting me made me smile involuntarily.

 _ **Sweet dreams, Spice. See you tomorrow. ~Edward**_

Cuddling into my fluffy pillow, I closed my eyes, suddenly looking forward to apartment hunting.

****TtK****

When we'd split up to go our separate ways the previous day, we'd informed Heidi of our decision to start our search for a shared apartment around Midtown South. Not sure how exactly things would proceed, I was surprised to get a call from our production assistant around noon, asking me to meet her and Edward two hours later to look at several possible rentals.

It was a good thing Marcus had been generous with my vacation time, because otherwise, I'd have had to be at work by three that Sunday. With the weather nice and warm, I decided to walk the few blocks east to the address Heidi texted me earlier. When I turned the last corner, I found her and Edward already waiting for me with Garrett and our familiar filming crew at a safe distance.

My husband and I shared an awkward look, then settled for giving each other a friendly hug.

"Hey, Spice. Good to see you," he murmured upon pulling back.

I was about to tell him I was glad to see him too, when a woman in a business suit came out of the closest entry and headed straight toward us.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Masen." I felt like correcting her but let it go anyway. "My name is Lauren Mallory, and I have ten different apartments for you to tour today. Come on, I think we should get going."

Motioning for us to follow her, she opened the door she'd come out of only a moment ago and led us through a well-preserved but old lobby into a rather non-descript stairwell. When we arrived on the fourth floor, she turned left and led us to a steel door, unlocking it, and stepping into a small and relatively dark living room.

"This unit has a total area of 600 square feet. It has recently been renovated and comes furnished," Lauren recited as she showed us around. "The bedroom is big enough for a queen-sized bed and the bathroom is an en-suite."

The place was fairly small and the windows were so tiny that, although it was a sunny day, you still needed artificial light to see clearly. That alone would have been enough for me to rule out this particular apartment, but when I looked at the small kitchenette with cheap appliances, I knew I was done here.

Edward was as quiet as I was and looked just as unhappy. Once Lauren had rattled off her list of facts and showed us every one of the six built-in closets, she turned to gaze at us expectantly.

"What do you think? Do you like the place?"

While Edward still seemed to contemplate how to answer, I took the bull by its horns and gave the realtor my assessment. "It's gloomy in here, and the kitchen simply won't do. I'm a chef, and I need a little bit of room to work."

Lauren gave us an exaggerated smile before closing her folder. "Never mind. At least you have an opinion. Let's move on to the next place. Shall we?"

The next three apartments weren't any better than the first. One was right above a Chinese restaurant and everything smelled like chicken. The next one was on the sixth floor without an elevator, and the third was furnished grandma-style.

It was already six o'clock when we entered an eight-story building next to a hotel on Madison. The front of the building was plain but homey, and the lobby with its lines of mailboxes was clean and inviting. An elevator was located at the end of the foyer, and we rode up to the fifth floor.

There were four doors in the hall; two to the left and two to the right. Lauren led us straight to the first one on the right and opened it to a lovely living room with a red brick wall and a fireplace. To our left, I spotted a rather big kitchen with white cabinets and state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances.

As an invisible force pulled me toward my favorite room in every house, Lauren started to give us the facts on the apartment.

"Well, what we have here is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. The square footage is about 700. The bathroom has new tiles and the bedroom easily fits a queen-sized bed. There are eight closets around the place and it comes with a whole set of new furniture."

The furniture was actually nice. There was a light gray couch, a glass coffee table, and several shelves made of dark wood. Between the open kitchen and the living room, there was a dining room table in a matching dark wood that sat six people. On the opposite end of the room, a door led to the bedroom with a large bed in the center and another door, probably leading to the en-suite bathroom.

Everything was airy and light with big windows and beautiful see-through drapes. I wasn't sure about Edward, but this was definitely where I wanted to live. Looking around, I found him by one of the windows that overlooked the busy street. He must have heard me coming because he turned his head to glance at me.

"How do you like it?" he asked without giving away his own opinion of the apartment.

The corners of my mouth turned up into a real smile, and I stated, "I want to live here."

Edward's smile matched mine and his eyes twinkled. "I like it too. Let's ask Realtor Barbie when we can move in."

Oh, I really liked _this_ Edward.

An hour later, everything was signed, and we were supposed to move in the next day.

****TtK****

We went to dinner to make plans for the move, which turned out to be a bit complicated to schedule, considering I usually had mornings off and began work in the early afternoon, while Edward worked mostly nine to five. However, since the stuff we'd both be taking from our current residences wasn't too much, we decided I'd be packing my things in the morning and Jake would help move the boxes over to the new apartment in the afternoon when Edward came from work.

It all went surprisingly well, and we even hugged upon parting ways for the night.

****TtK****

Boxing up my belongings was a very peculiar experience. The apartment I'd shared with Jake and now Mike had been my home for the past eight years — longer than any other place I'd ever lived in. It wasn't easy to leave that behind, even though I knew I could always come back.

My marriage was on shaky ground at best, but to give it a chance at all, we had to share our every-day lives — plus it was a requirement in our contract.

Everything was packed up and ready to be moved by the time I left for work. The moment I was about to pull the door closed behind me, I realized, I most certainly would come back to see Jake and Mike, but from now on, I'd be a guest. By the time I got off work that night, I'd be living somewhere else. After a last look back into the life I knew, I closed the door and stepped out to embrace my future.

****TtK****

It was around ten-thirty at night when I opened the door to my new home. Surprised to find most of our things put away already, I frowned, finding empty pizza boxes on the coffee table, beer bottles scattered around them, and all the lights on in the otherwise empty room.

Not wanting to begin our new living arrangement with a fight, I decided to throw away the trash instead of making a fuss about the mess. It took me a few minutes to clean up after my husband, then I turned off the lights and made my way into the bedroom.

There, in the middle of the big bed, sat Edward, dressed only in pajama pants and a black wifebeater, surrounded by the contents of my box that once held my bridal shower gifts. He was holding up the WeVibe for closer inspection, as I dropped my shoes I'd been carrying in shock, making a noise that obviously startled him.

"Dammit, Spice, you scared me," he exclaimed as he returned his attention to the toy in his hand.

Swallowing to moisten my dry throat, I glared at him. "What are you doing with my things?"

"Jacob must have forgotten to unpack this box. So I thought I'd lend you a hand." He slowly turned his head to look at me while pulling Jess's skimpy lingerie set out of the box, a salacious smirk on his lips. "Wow, Spice, you've been holding out on me. A vibrator _and_ slutty undies — and here you're playing hard to get. Come on, you can give it up and let me get a taste."

All of a sudden, I felt steam rising out of my ears. "You asshole. First, you snoop through my stuff, which isn't really mine anyway, and then you have the audacity to proposition me as if I'm some tramp? If you think you can woo me into sleeping with you by showing off your crudeness and arrogance, then you are a bigger fucking ass than I thought!"

"Oh, hell, you can drop the Virgin Mary act. Owning this stuff, I know you have to be a freak between the sheets. I can't believe you keep pushing me away."

I charged over, ripping my stuff out of his hands and flinging the pieces back into the box. "I'm sure not a virgin, but I'm not a whore, either. I won't bend to your blatant approaches just because you think you're oh-so irresistible. I demand you show me some respect from now on, or this experiment fails before it's even actually begun."

I stormed into the bathroom, glad to be able to grab some clothes lying around on the way. I kept my hands busy, holding them back from throwing around whatever stuff of his was resting on the vanity.

 _That damn idiot!_

I was of a mind to run out on him, or at least, sleep on the couch, but I wasn't willing to let him win this round by surrendering my spot in the bed. So, instead of taking a pillow and moving into the living room, I straightened my back, held my head high, and without dignifying Edward with a look, I lay down under the covers on my side of the bed, switching off the lights. He huffed noisily, then placed something on the bedside table, and scooted down.

Once again, he'd managed to ruin a perfectly good day with his cocky attitude. I was beginning to wonder if that was all there was to him or if there was another layer under his rough and egotistical exterior. I slowly began to ask myself whatever it was the experts saw in him, or maybe it was more what they thought of _me_ to have the two of us paired up.

For now, I wasn't willing to give up on trying to see the good in people, not even in my shameless husband — damn his hot self. Regardless, the honeymoon was definitely over!

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Before the Bella bashing can begin, I want to remind you that she can't know what we do about Edward's thoughts or motivations. We know he was being sincere at the end of last chapter, but with the way he's acted toward her before, she can't know it's not just another attempt to get into her pants.

With that being said, how did you like the chapter? Wasn't Edward's text just sweet? And how do you like the apartment? Was it okay for Edward to snoop through Bella's things? And what do you think about the way he handled what he found?

There are pics of their new home as well as Bella's wedding ring in my _Facebook_ group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

Now, who's interested in a teaser for next chapter? Here it goes:

… " _Garrett's right. This isn't working. We're going to kill each other if we go on like this." She stopped talking and nervously chewed her full bottom lip. …_

What's going on now? To avoid you ripping off my head, it's actually a good thing. And they're not throwing in the towel — yet ;). Tell me what you think, here or on Facebook.

See you next chapter.


	10. Chapter 10 - No Kiss And Make Up

**A/N:** Hi everyone. I'm glad you're back. I'm really sorry, but for the first time ever, I didn't manage to reply to all reviews. I read and appreciated them all. I picked out those with actual questions or things that really needed to be addressed and, for once, left the others. It feels strange and kind of makes me nervous, but there was so much going on that I'm glad I got this chapter ready for you in time.

The hubby and I decided to do a few renovations after living in our house for eight years, and the Tim-Taylor-wannabee made a mistake and covered our whole house in a layer or white dust that even keeps on settling even after several days. So I was busy cleaning on top of the actual renovations, which made review replies almost impossible. I hope you won't hold it against me. I'll try to be back on track this chapter.

I really need to say major thanks to my team, who are a beacon of light in my dusty RL, lol. **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl** , you're wonderful. Also, thank you very much, **Redtini** , for rec'ing this story in your last chapter of _Going Down_. Whoever is not reading that story, you need to start now — or after reading and reviewing this one ;).

Now, let's see if our newlyweds can recover from their last fight.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 10 – No Kiss And Make Up

~Edward~

"Oh, dammit, Ed. You have a real talent for pissing off your wife." Emmett shook his head, impressed with my stupidity. Taking a sip from his beer, he stared pointedly at me, waiting for some sort of explanation.

I tugged at my hair, still incredulous of the things I'd said last night. When I opened that box and found the hot and kinky things inside, I was sure Bella was putting up an act of innocence to drive me insane. The way she reacted to my snooping, how she was embarrassed and clearly ashamed, was absolutely lost on me in the heat of the moment. In hindsight, I could see her furious reaction for what it actually was: solely a defensive mechanism against my cheap advances.

Also, I'd been relentless, driving her out of the room. For as long as she'd been in the bathroom, I'd agonized over whether she'd throw me out or sleep on the couch herself, but instead, she stood tall and claimed her place in our bed. At the time, I was still pissed, too riled up and horny to understand her, but now, in the light of day — and after a cold shower — I was sorry for what happened.

Although I'd never lived with anyone other than my parents or Emmett, I'd been looking forward to sharing an apartment with Bella. I'd missed her the one night we'd had to spend apart. Even more, I had hoped for a nice, quiet first night at our new place. I hadn't even thought about having sex with her — not realistically anyway.

"Em, you don't get it. She's acting as if, I don't know, as if she's all virtuous and shit, and I have to prove myself worthy of her. She hasn't let me touch her since we danced at our wedding reception. I mean, she's fucking sexy and prancing around in skimpy bathing suits and hot-as-fuck dresses. Then I find all that kinky stuff that appears to be hers. Wouldn't you feel betrayed, too?"

Emmett emptied his bottle and went to grab two fresh ones. "I get that, Ed, I do. I mean, she's pretty and has all those great curves and that sexy tat, but if you want her to give you a chance, you have to stop hitting on her, and instead, woo her a bit. Chicks want to feel special and shit. Try playing nice or give up."

The latter was something I wasn't willing or able to consider. She was my wife, and although I never wanted to be married in the first place, I wasn't one to admit defeat. Plus, my Spice was a catch I wouldn't let go easily.

"I'm trying my best, Em, really, I am, but it's so fucking hard," I whined. My complaints were cut off by Seth as he turned around from the computer he'd been working on quietly in the corner.

"Are you two girls done chattering? We have to concentrate on the end sequence. After all, we got together tonight to work on the game."

****TtK****

The next several hours were spent writing code, doing test runs of the game, and making changes to the design of the final level. We downed two six-packs of Heineken, wolfed down a pizza, and lounged around as we'd always done.

I was shocked when I eventually looked at the digital clock of the DVR to find it was midnight.

 _Shit!_ I hadn't even told Bella I was coming home late.

With the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket. I cursed when I noticed it was still in silent mode from an earlier meeting at work, and the display indicated several text messages from Bella.

 **I'm home. Where are you? ~B**

 _Oh, dammit, that was two hours ago._

 **Are you coming home soon? ~B**

 **Edward, are you aware Garrett and the crew are here and I have no idea what to tell them? ~B**

 _Fuck! I totally forgot about that._

This morning, Bella was fast asleep, and I had no idea what to say to her after our fight last night, so I tried to be as quiet as possible getting ready, and left the house without waking her. Seeing as our work hours didn't mesh well, I contacted our director and asked him to reschedule our camera time from this morning to tonight after Bella was off work — only it completely slipped my mind once we were knee-deep in edits for our game, or rather, I'd lost track of time.

 **Dammit, Edward, I'm lying my way through this shoot, trying to come up with excuses for you. Get. Here. Now! ~B**

Oh, Bella was pissed — and rightfully so. Not only had I not spoken to her since the previous night, I also hadn't let her know about the change of our filming schedule. Hell, if I were her, I'd kick me in the nuts and rip me a new asshole.

Getting up, I uttered a short, "Guys, I gotta go. Talk to you later," and ran out.

I made it home in record time, finding Bella sitting upright in bed with her Kindle in hand. Without looking up, her words stopped my approach. "Where were you?"

"I'm so sorry —"

Her tone was clipped and her stare fierce when she interrupted me. "For what? Sneaking out like a thief this morning, or springing this evening shoot on me without having the decency to tell me or even show up? I'll ask once more. Where. Were. You?"

Uncomfortable under her glower, I started to fumble with my clothes in an attempt to undress and get ready for bed. "I was at Emmett's, and we worked on the video game." My tone was meek, and I tried to convey with my eyes that I was genuinely sorry I'd put her into that situation.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Edward? You hang out with your _frien_ _ds,_ fucking around with _video games_ , while I try to save your ass here by making up stupid apologies? After a tough ten-hour day at work?" With a bang, Bella slammed down her Kindle on the bedside table. "Well, it's nice to know your priorities. Friends and juvenile games first. If I wanted to play second fiddle to someone's bros, I could have had that a long time ago."

I knew she was hurt and angry, and she had every right to be, but her words made me feel defensive. "So, I'm not allowed to see my friends? I'm not allowed to work on a project that means a lot to me? Now I get why they call it 'the old ball and chain.'"

In a second, she was off the bed, whirling around and shooting fire out of her eyes. "You egotistical asshole. I've been lying through my teeth for two hours to explain your absence when you're contractually required to show up at the set filming times. How dare you accuse me of being a petty, jealous bitch? They could sue you for breach of contract if they knew you were playing video games instead of fulfilling your responsibilities. If you want out, just say the word, but don't you ever leave me hanging like that again. This is the one and only time I cover for you."

Her last words hit me in a place where it really hurt. I didn't want out. In fact, I wanted further in, but I was too riled up to let her win this argument.

"That damn game is all I've done for the past three years. It's fucking important to me. If you don't get that, then maybe we're kidding ourselves here, and this will never work. But you can bet your pretty little ass, I won't throw in the towel. I'll see this through 'til the bitter end."

Bella let out a pained, frustrated snort. "As if there's any chance we'll ever get along. But fine, we'll continue butting heads until the six weeks are over, and we can both go our separate ways."

We stood, trying to stare each other down. When the moment started to turn into forever, we both looked away at the same time. Strangely, once again, neither of us was willing to surrender the bed to the other, so, like so many nights before, we each slept on our own ends, the expanse of the bed creating a wide gap between us.

Had I actually fucked up everything this time?

****TtK****

Apparently, I had. Over the next couple days, we managed to live together as though the other didn't exist. During our camera time in the evenings, we were cordial with each other, but the cold between us must have been obvious, because at the end of the week, after the cameras were turned off and the rest of the crew had left, Garrett asked to have a word with us.

"Guys, I guess I'm not spilling any big secrets when I say this isn't working." He gave us a moment to process what he was saying before he continued. Both of us sat still as though struck by lightning. "There are three ways to handle this situation, first one being you two continue the way you're acting; ignoring each other as best you can. Second, you can throw in the towel. There is a … 'loophole' in the contract, which would allow you to do that without any repercussions. Or the third option, if you're still willing to give your marriage a chance, you could call in one or even several of the experts. You can do it with the cameras rolling or not. That's your call. The ultimate goal for the network is to make as many marriages as possible last beyond the six weeks."

Bella was fidgeting with her cuticles, while I mulled over Garrett's suggestions.

"You don't have to make a decision now, but I don't see this continuing status quo for four more weeks. Think about your options, but from what I'm seeing, even with your constant fighting, there's too much chemistry between you two just to give up now. Whenever and whatever you decide, we'll see each other tomorrow."

With that, he left us to stew. We remained silent for a few more minutes until Bella took a deep breath and rose.

"I need to make a phone call." That was all she said as she vanished into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

****TtK****

Even though our fights were exhausting, I still didn't want to give up, and was scared Bella would decide I wasn't worth the hassle. In between the heated words and infuriated stares, I couldn't help admiring her strength as well as her beauty. She frustrated me to no end, but I couldn't imagine not having my Spice around.

After anxiously waiting for almost two hours for her to return, the bedroom door opened again, and a red-eyed Bella entered the living room, taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch. She tucked one of her legs under her and took a deep breath.

"Garrett's right. This isn't working. We're going to kill each other if we go on like this." She stopped talking and nervously chewed her full, bottom lip.

When she didn't continue, I couldn't stand the suspense any longer. "So, what do you suggest?"

For the first time since her return, her eyes met mine, resigned but honest. "I think we need help."

My audible sigh of relief obviously caused Bella to relax. "Okay. Who do we call?"

****TtK****

It didn't take us long to rule out Peter Nichols. We'd both liked him during our interviews, but since neither of us was very religious, he didn't seem to be the right choice.

We also agreed that Irina Denali wasn't the best way to go. Although she had the most experience with coaching couples, our problems weren't of a sexual nature — at least Bella was convinced of that. I wasn't so sure if a good romp in the sheets wasn't the best solution.

That only left Dr. Platt, the sociologist, and Dr. Cullen, the psychologist. Bella voted for Dr. Platt, as they seemed to have forged some kind of bond during the interview process, but considering Carlisle's specialty, he was probably the one with the most relevant insight, so we decided to call him for help. He instantly agreed to see us, suggesting he talk with both of us separately prior to meeting with the two of us together.

I wasn't crazy about that solution because it meant he'd be hearing Bella's version first. Seeing as her only available time was in the morning before work, while my appointment had to be in the afternoon, I couldn't find a sensible reason to object.

When Garrett and the team came over the next morning, we informed him of our decision to seek help, but expressed we weren't inclined to air our sessions on TV. He suggested we set up our handheld camera, opting against a crew for the sake of privacy, and later decide to either add it to the official footage or erase it. His advice was reasonable to us, so we agreed to film our conversations with Carlisle.

All morning, I was on pins and needles, wishing to be a fly on our apartment wall when Carlisle paid his visit to my wife. Was she tattling on all the shit I'd said and done, or did she have my back as she'd done with the camera team?

At exactly five in the afternoon, I rushed out of my office and made my way home. After all, I was expecting Carlisle at five-thirty. Of course, there wasn't a thing out of place when I entered our apartment. Not only had Bella cleaned, but she'd also stocked up the fridge and made sure we had everything we could possibly need for our _therapy sessions_.

Carlisle didn't keep me waiting for long. "Hello, Edward. Good to see you again, although I wouldn't have thought it would happen so soon."

"Well, neither did I." I shook his hand, then led him over to the sofa, switching on the camera Bella had left in position from this morning. "I guess you're already feeling at home here."

"You mean considering I was here only a couple hours ago?" Carlisle chuckled with amusement, then turned serious. "Now, why don't you tell me the reasons you think you need my help."

I busied myself, pouring us both a glass of water while I tried to formulate an answer. "Things aren't going very well. It feels like we're either fighting or ignoring each other."

Carlisle nodded, then took a sip of his water. "What is it you fight about? How does a typical argument start?"

Without much thought, I blurted out a one-word reply. "Sex." Then I quickly elaborated. "It mostly starts when I try to get physically closer to Bella or simply talk about it."

"So, you want sex with her and she doesn't?" Carlisle offered by way of summing things up, but that was much too simple.

"I'm not even sure she doesn't. She's giving me mixed signals all the time. Then she accuses me of being after that one thing only."

Dr. Cullen nodded, apparently taking mental notes of what I'd said. "What is it you want then?"

I was a bit stunned by his question. What was it I wanted? Had I asked myself the same question fourteen days ago, I'd have answered I wanted to survive the six weeks without much hassle, get a divorce as quickly as possible, and I wouldn't mind getting a little bit of pussy along the way. Now that I knew Bella, my plans were seriously messed up. On top of that, I could hardly reveal the whole truth without breaking my contract with the network. So, what was it I wanted?

"I want Bella. I want her sexually because she's the sexiest and most beautiful woman I've ever seen — but I want more. She's witty, feisty, and cute. I want her to like me, too. The problem is that she unerringly manages to push my buttons, and I flip. Then she notices the little things I didn't even mean to say, and we fight. I'm sure she hates me." I let my head hang because I was quite convinced of what I'd said.

"Edward," Carlisle started in a fatherly voice, "I can't divulge anything Bella told me in confidence, but I can assure you she doesn't hate you." His words gave me a flicker of hope. "You need to find a way to communicate without personally attacking each other. I think I have quite a clear picture of what seems to be the problem. Now, I'd like to see the two of you together tomorrow morning. We need to go over a few ground rules and exercises you can do to further your communication. I'll be over at ten. That should be early enough for Bella to get to work on time."

With that, he gathered his things, said goodbye, and left the apartment.

****TtK****

I spent the rest of the evening over at Emmett's, drinking some beers, having pizza, and working on our game. This time, I made sure to leave early enough to make it home before Bella got off work.

After changing into a pair of lounge pants and an old T-shirt, I made myself comfortable on the couch, watching a rather bad action movie and, all the while, keeping an eye on the clock, waiting for my wife to get home.

It was already two hours after her shift had supposedly ended when the door finally opened, and a tired-looking Bella walked into the living room.

Knowing her to usually be on time for everything and anything, I'd started to worry when she didn't get home earlier, watching my phone, waiting for a message explaining her delay.

"You're late." I knew immediately that it had come out the wrong way. While I intended to sound concerned, the tone of my voice was harsh and accusatory.

Even though she hadn't acknowledged my presence until then, Bella whirled around, narrowing her eyes at me. "Why? Did I miss curfew?" she asked tartly.

Not responding to her provocation, I returned my eyes to the screen. "No, but your shift ended at ten. You should have been home by eleven at the latest."

"So I'm supposed to come straight home?" She threw her purse on the floor and balled her fists at her hips. "You're allowed to hang out with your friends whenever you like, even miss camera time, and I can't have a talk with my boss? Dammit, I didn't know we were back in the fifties."

Jumping up from my seat, I charged at her, stopping only a few feet away. "You can do whatever the hell you want. As can I, but you could at least have called or texted, so I wouldn't have worried."

"Oh, you mean like you did on Tuesday?" Her eyes narrowed at me, and I could practically feel the current of tension running between us.

"I already apologized for that. How long will you hold it against me? Fuck! I have no idea why we're doing this anymore." I did, I really did, but we weren't getting anywhere.

Bella huffed. "Neither do I."

We glared at each other until I finally broke the angry spell, my words coming out in a defeated tone. "Carlisle's coming over tomorrow morning. He wants to talk to the two of us together."

"Great," Bella replied, then closed her eyes for a minute. "I'm tired. I'm going to take a shower then go to bed."

"Fine. I'll finish watching my movie." I didn't care the least bit if the bad guys managed to blow up the imaginary city they were threatening, or if the hero could run interference in time, but I didn't want to risk another fight. So I stayed in the living room until I was sure Bella was asleep.

I could only hope Carlisle had a solution, because no matter how desperately I wanted my wife, I didn't think I could take the hostility much longer.

****TtK****

Garrett had been very gracious by giving us yesterday off, stating that, until we talked to Carlisle, he wouldn't get usable footage anyway. Today, though, he and his team showed up at nine, watching us have breakfast in relative silence, waiting for our therapist to arrive.

In time for our session, Dr. Cullen knocked as Garrett and his team left, having set up the handheld camera at the right angle to film the seats around the coffee table.

Bella was still cleaning up in the kitchen, so I offered Carlisle a drink and started a bit of small talk about the good weather.

"Now that Bella has joined us, too, we can start." Carlisle began his moderation after Bella had taken a seat on the far end of the couch from me. "The essential information I took with me from our talks yesterday is that the two of you are like fire and gasoline. When you get together, there aren't only sparks, but there's a massive explosion. You don't lack attraction or will or chemistry, you just need to find a way to avoid exploding on each other."

"And how do we do that?" Bella asked, frustration and hope equally audible.

Carlisle took a sip of water, then sat back, looking at us. "Neither of you has ever been in a long-term relationship. Even further, you've never lived with a partner. Considering you're both strong personalities and you were sort of thrown into the deep end here without having spent much time together, it's not a surprise you clash — a lot. You need to get to know each other, and you need to do it with respect for one another."

We both nodded silently, so Carlisle continued. "Bella, yesterday you showed me that game of 'Truth or Dare' your friend made, and I think that's a good start. So, I want you to play a round of Truth every night. Take five cards out of the box and both answer the questions on them. I wouldn't necessarily want to involve the 'Dare' part for now, but to give you a choice and some sort of way out, you can opt to do a dare if you definitely don't want to answer a certain question."

Bella started to squirm nervously in her seat, and I was curious what that was about. Unfortunately, I hadn't gotten to that particular item before she got home Monday night.

Carlisle either didn't notice or didn't care and just went on setting the rules. "Apart from that task, I want you to try to be civil with each other. Think before you raise your voice to one another, and if you get into a fight anyway, walk away and cool down, maybe stay the night at a friend's, but return the next morning and talk it through rationally. If that doesn't work out, you can call me, and I'll mediate. Otherwise, I'd like for us to meet again in a week and see if you made progress."

That wasn't exactly what I'd anticipated. To be honest, I'd expected Carlisle to act like a parent to arguing toddlers, either chastising us or at least telling us to kiss and make up. Instead, he was understanding and his interference was minimal.

Secretly, I'd had hoped for him to tell us to go on and do the deed to get rid of the tension, but I knew it wasn't that easy.

We thanked him sincerely for his efforts and told him we'd stay in touch.

As soon as he was gone, the awkwardness around us increased tenfold.

"So …" I started just for the sake of breaking the silence.

"So …?" Bella mirrored my words as well as my defensive stance.

Running my hand through my hair, I rocked back and forth on my heels. "I guess we'll be having a game night tonight."

"I guess so." Bella's words were followed by a drawn-out silence until she caught sight of the clock on the wall. "I gotta get ready for work."

With that, she went into the bedroom to change, and a short while later, she reemerged, grabbed her purse and said a rather timid goodbye.

This was hell. I really hoped Carlisle's exercise would help. God, I hadn't played 'Truth or Dare' in over a decade. With Spice, though, it promised to get interesting.

********TtK*********

 **A/N:** Before I say anything else, let me tell you I have no idea how couple's therapy works but am very aware 'Truth or Dare' isn't it. Still, this is supposed to be entertaining and not overly accurate.

So, does anyone else see a bit of hope on the horizon? And 'Truth or Dare' sounds promising, even more so if you remember Tanya's reaction when she looked at the game, right?

Want a sneak peek? Here it goes:

… _His words were cut off by the alarm, indicating the two minutes were up. "Dammit! And I hadn't even really started to fuck you." …_

What's that now? Did Bella finally give in? Or are things completely different than they seem? Let me know what you think, here or on Facebook in my group Payton79's Fanfiction.

See you in two weeks.


	11. Chapter 11 - Truth or Dare

**A/N:** Hi there! I'm glad you're all back. I don't know what's going on but either people are bailing on this story or for whatever reason, many of you didn't review last chapter because the numbers were a record low :(. For all of you who are tired of the old bickering, that's going to get better this chapter.

As always, this wouldn't be worth reading without the invaluable help of **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl**. These ladies are the best.

Now, let's go play 'Truth or Dare'. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight …

******TtK*******

Chapter 11 – Truth Or Dare

~Bella~

That Saturday night was a strangely slow night at _Volturi's_. Only half the tables were still occupied by nine, and the last main course served half an hour prior to that. However, I was still surprised when Marcus came into the kitchen to tell me to finish early because I had people waiting for me outside.

Even though I had no idea whom to expect, I wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I changed quickly into the jeans and T-shirt I'd arrived with and went out into the main part of the restaurant. There, at a table at the far end of the room, sat Jessica, Tanya, and Angela, each nursing a glass of red wine.

"Hey, there's our newlywed," Tanya cheered when I came closer. "How come you're not walking funny? I bet your hubby's a bomb in bed."

Shaking my head with amusement, I hugged them all hello, then took a seat at their table.

"Well, if he is, I wouldn't know." I poured myself a glass of wine and took a sip.

All three of them stared at me in shock until Tanya spoke up for a second time. "So my advice from our talk last week didn't pay off?"

I'd called her from Cancun for a few recommendations one afternoon when I was supposed to be taking a shower. Though her opinion was I should give in and enjoy what my oh-so-hot husband was offering, she also understood I was put off by his blatant and repeated disrespect toward me. Her advice had been to tease him silly with short dresses and barely-there bikinis. Unfortunately, that had backfired, causing us to fight even more. I gave up on her crazy plan after only one day.

"Let's say it made his advances even worse … and tackier." Taking a huge gulp of red, I looked into three stunned faces.

Jess's shock swiftly turned into a pout. "Dammit! That sucks. Weren't you supposed to move in together?"

"We did. We found a gorgeous apartment on Madison. But we can't seem to stop fighting. Either that, or we ignore each other. We're even getting counseling." I said the last sentence with a frown.

"Like couple's therapy?" Jess asked, and I merely nodded in defeat.

Angela reached over and placed her hand on mine soothingly. "You know there's a way out, right?"

"I know," I assured her. "But I'm not ready to give up, yet. Edward can be a total ass and proves that most of the time, but he can also be really sweet and caring. I want to give the whole thing another chance."

All three of them nodded their heads in unison.

"Who's your counselor?" Tanya inquired, filling up all our glasses.

"Dr. Cullen, the psychologist from the group of experts. We decided together to talk to him. He thinks we need to get to know each other better and gave us … homework."

"What kind of homework?" Jess asked, confused. "The whole 'tell each other what you feel' thing?"

I downed the contents of my glass, swallowing the last gulp with my eyes closed. "He suggested we play Jake's 'Truth or Dare.' We made plans to start that tonight."

Chuckling, Tanya reached for the bottle and gave me a generous refill. "Drink up, hun. You're in for a fun night. I'm sure the liquid courage will turn out to be very welcome."

****TtK****

Definitely tipsy, I got home right on time, making sure not to give my husband another reason to complain.

"I wasn't sure how we'd do this, but I thought some snacks and something to drink wouldn't hurt," Edward offered after greeting me.

With a thud, I plopped down on the couch, making him smirk. "I see you started without me. Maybe it'll be easier this way."

He set the two boxes labeled "Truth" and "Dare" on the coffee table, lifting the lid of the former. "Ladies first. You pick one," he demanded, sucking on his beer bottle.

Biting my bottom lip, I reached out hesitantly and pulled a card out of the box. After a deep breath, I scanned the writing, letting out a relieved gust of air when I realized it wasn't too bad.

"When and how was your first time?"

Even though I considered the question rather easy to answer, Edward ran his hand through his hair and appeared nervous. He took another pull from his beer, then cleared his throat.

"I was eighteen and a freshman at NYU. Emmett wanted to pledge to a fraternity, and while that wasn't my scene, he dragged me along to a party at their house. There was this girl I'd noticed around campus. She was a junior with long, blond hair and legs that went on for miles." His eyes took on a dreamy quality, appearing to be far away in the past. "She came over, handed me a drink, and after I downed it, pulled me onto the dance floor."

If I hadn't known him to be such a cocky asshole, I'd have sworn he blushed shyly.

"You have to know that I was a nerd throughout high school, and girls weren't interested in me. I'd just then made an effort to leave that persona behind, and she was actually the first girl to approach me. And not only that, she rubbed herself all over me, suggesting we looked for an empty room upstairs. Let's say she had a lot more experience than I did, but she didn't complain and wasn't opposed to teach me." His usual confident self was back with a vengeance. "Your turn, _Mrs. Masen_."

I took a sip from my beer, thinking back to my first months in New York. "I had just turned nineteen. Back in Forks, none of the boys ever appealed to me. Jake was my date to prom and every other event in which we participated. Don't get me wrong, I'd had some practice making out and had experienced a bit of light groping, but that was it. When I started culinary school, there was this guy in my class. He was good-looking, charming, and a bit older. We started dating and had a lot of fun. I wasn't in love with him, but we were undeniably good together. After a month of dating, I went home with him and it happened."

Edward nodded, taking in my story that wasn't very exciting but a good memory. "What happened to him?" he asked after a moment.

"Alec and I were together for about half a year. Then he quit the institute because it wasn't for him and returned home to Atlanta. There was no drama or anything. We broke up and I'd been sad, but we remained friends until we eventually lost contact. Last thing I heard, he'd taken over his father's diner."

"Well, then, I think it's my turn to draw a card." Edward leaned forward and ran his finger across the line of cards, choosing one from the middle. He studied it skeptically, then resigned himself to reading it out loud. "What would you consider the perfect date?"

Huh. That wasn't that easy. The typical first date consisted of dinner and drinks or a movie. And since I hadn't had any follow-ups in quite some time, I definitely hadn't ever had a perfect date. Then something occurred to me.

"I think it would be a movie screening in the park. A couple of blankets on the grass, a choice of antipasto or other finger food. Watching the sun go down, then cuddling under the stars throughout the film, preferably something old like _Go_ _ne with the W_ _ind_. Yeah, I think that would be a perfect date."

Edward gazed at me with a twinkle in his eyes. "What? No carriage rides? Not a dozen red roses? No private plane trips to any remote places?"

"No, I'm pretty low-maintenance," I answered nonchalantly.

Smiling at Edward, who had a look of contemplation on his face, I imagined him storing the information away for later use; even though I figured he was thinking about his own reply.

"So, what's your perfect date?" I prompted.

"No one ever asks a guy that." He chuckled, shaking his head. "But if I were to plan a date I'm supposed to enjoy, it would either be an evening at the arcades and Gray's Papaya hot dogs or a day at Coney Island. Oh, and of course, the perfect date ends with mind-blowing sex." The salacious wink made me narrow my eyes at his arrogance, but in the spirit of doing our homework and respecting each other, I swallowed my snide comment, and instead, opted for a dry, "Of course."

I emptied my beer and reached for the next card, almost choking on my drink when I read what was on it.

"Easy, Spice," Edward cooed with amusement while he patted my back lightly. "Don't die on me here. Slow breaths, then read what's on the card."

I did as he said, subsequently closing my eyes as I recited the question apparently provided by Jake to torture me. "What's your favorite sexual position and why?"

Edward instantly sported a lascivious grin. "Can I say all of them?" My answering frown made him contemplate his real reply. "Okay, I'd have to say it's when the girl rides me. I can lie back and enjoy it, and at the same time, my hands are free to touch, rub, and stroke wherever I want."

I could feel the heat creeping up my spine, and my girly bits started to tingle at the thought of Edward touching, rubbing, and stroking _me_. As discreetly as possible, I changed my sitting position to provide a little bit of friction.

"Your turn," my smug husband announced, reaching for his beer.

I debated internally whether to give him the true answer or to come up with a quick lie to get with the question. Since I'd promised myself to make an effort — and for the sake of maybe getting him as worked up as I felt — I went with the truth.

"I like a hard pounding from behind." Edward choking on his beer had me working hard to hide my smirk. "It's so _deep_ and _intense_." Emptying his bottle, my dear husband tried, unsuccessfully, to appear unaffected by my words.

I was proud of myself for rattling him, but in the interest of full disclosure, I added more information in a softer, less seductive voice. "I really love missionary, too, though. The closeness and intimacy of being in someone's arms like that and being able to lock eyes is a wonderful experience."

Edward looked at me strangely, then reached for the next card. "Have you ever made love?"

 _Great! Just the perfect follow-up question!_

"Um, I don't think so. Alec was the longest and most serious relationship I've had. It wasn't all about sex with him. But as I said, I wasn't in love. And after him, no relationship ever reached that level of intimacy. So, I'd say no. Have you?"

For the first time tonight, Edward seemed kind of nervous. "No. Definitely not. All my relationships were quite … casual. So, no."

Now that was quick. However, there was one more question left. Determined to get it over with, I grabbed a card and read it out loud.

"Have you ever kissed another guy/girl?" Being the sexist ass Edward appeared to be, I was sure his answer would be a resounding "no."

Imagine my surprise when he turned a bright shade of red and said, "Well, there was this time when Emmett and I went to that party where two fuck-hot chicks told us they'd get totally turned on by two guys making out." I didn't think it was possible, but he blushed even harder. "We only managed a peck on the lips before we both started to gag. The girls cracked up laughing, saying we were the most stupid guys they ever met for falling right into their trap."

While it served him right to be taken down a notch, I still felt sorry for college Edward, who was probably still insecure about his conversion from nerd to sex god.

Pulling himself together, he looked up at me from under his lashes, asking, "Have you?"

"Actually, I have." I eyed him closely to gauge his reaction. "We were at a club, and I was dancing with Tanya. There were these two really sleazy guys. They hit on us incessantly, and there was no way to get rid of them apart from leaving the club, which we didn't want to do, or telling them we were lesbians. They didn't seem to believe us, so we bit the bullet and made out right in the middle of the club."

Most men got turned on by the image of two women sucking face, and my husband seemed to be no exception. "Did, um, did you enjoy it?"

I didn't particularly like it, but I didn't have to say it like that and destroy his erotic fantasy, right? "Well, it wasn't gross, but if I ever had any doubts, after that, I knew I was one hundred percent straight."

Edward merely nodded, taking a big pull from a new bottle of beer. It was great to see him so flustered, but the evening had definitely been enough for me.

"This was fun, but I'm tired. So, I think I'll head on to bed." I wasn't sure if he'd be following or not, but extending an invitation could send the wrong signal. "Good night?" The raise of my voice at the end of the line implied it was mostly a question.

"Um, you go on. I'll finish my beer and clean up a bit. Good night." His gaze flitted from the label of his bottle to me and back again.

Since it seemed everything was said, I turned around and headed for bed.

****TtK****

"So, what are your plans for today?" I asked Edward after a rather pleasant breakfast in front of Garrett and his cameras.

Our director had been pleased to know we taped last night's "therapy-session," promising us it was ultimately our decision if we wanted it aired or not.

"Emmett and I usually go to the gym on Sunday mornings, then we work on our game until later in the afternoon." He looked at me with uncertainty, probably waiting for me to either, blow up on him or at least voice my displeasure.

Considering I normally spent my Sundays in the park with Jake and was in desperate need of a long chat with my bestie, I didn't mind him having his own plans. "That's fine with me. I'll meet up with Jake until I have to go to work. Will you be here when I get home?"

"Sure. I'll have everything ready for session number two."

We washed the dishes in companionable silence, then, after Garrett and the team said their goodbyes, we also left to meet with our friends.

****TtK****

The weather was beautiful, so Jake and I took a stroll around the lake.

"How's married life treating you, Bells?" Jake made conversation while we soaked up the sunlight caressing our skin.

"Well, we're in therapy now … kind of." Furrowing my brow, I tried to make it sound more trivial than I felt.

Jake's steps faltered for a moment. "Therapy? Are things that bad? And what does 'kind of' mean, anyway?"

Turning to look out over the lake, I gave him the abbreviated version of the last several days. "They were, I guess. After that whole mess with my shower presents on Monday and him not showing up for the rescheduled shoot on Tuesday, we were ready to scratch out each other's eyes. It must have been blatantly obvious, even though we did our best to act cordial when the cameras were rolling, because Garrett was the one to suggest therapy. We decided to call Dr. Cullen in for help. He first spoke to each of us separately, then yesterday, the three of us met at our place and he told us to get to know each other better."

"So, how's that going?" Jake wanted to know after nodding.

Snorting, I told him about the exact means we applied to accomplish our task. "He suggested we use your little game to help things along."

"Oh shit!" he choked out, looking remorseful.

"Yeah, right. What were you two thinking when you came up with those offensive questions?" I started walking again, looking for a free bench.

"Mike and I thought about all the things we were curious about when we first met. And the dares are all things we considered fun."

I frowned once more at the thought of whatever Jake and Mike might consider fun. "We're supposed to do a dare if we don't want to answer a truth question for whatever reason. Do I need to be scared?"

Watching a toddler waddle through the grass close by, Jake contemplated his answer. " _Scared_ is not the word I'd choose, but let's say, you shouldn't veto a question lightly."

Now I definitely _was_ scared.

****TtK****

That night, when I came home, I found Edward in the living room; everything set up like the previous night. After a quick hello, I went to change into more comfortable clothes and plopped down on the couch, reaching for a bottle of beer.

"Let the games begin," I mumbled, putting the drink to my lips.

Enthusiastically, Edward pulled a card out of the box. "Yesterday, you had first pick. This time, it's my turn. So, let's see. What's the worst pick-up line you ever heard?"

He seemed to think this was an easy-enough question, whereas, for me, it was difficult to answer without possibly starting a fight. "That would be, '...you're sexy as fuck when you're mad. Don't be a prude. I know you want me.' But, '...let me take that dress off you, and we'll see how often I can make you come in one night,' is a real close second."

His reaction assured me he damn well remembered where and when those lines were spoken. He even had the decency to fidget with his hair a bit upon giving his own reply. "Is your name Google? Because you're the answer to everything I'm searching for."

There was a moment of total silence, then I burst out into loud giggles. "Someone really said that to you?"

"Yep. About three years ago in a bar. She was a busty blonde in her thirties, all done up and in an indecently short dress." He shook his head, apparently amused by the memory.

I took a large gulp of beer. "Did it work then?" I so needed to know.

Sheepishly, he scratched the back of his neck. "It did, sort of. We had a few drinks and made out, but I left with Seth and Emmett before anything more could happen."

I felt a strange relief at the thought of him not having sex with the cougar, which was stupid because it didn't mean he hadn't slept with dozens of other women. The comment he made on our honeymoon about keeping all his partners satisfied still rang in the back of my head and implied a certain amount of experience. As did his cockiness. I wasn't sure if we'd ever reach a point of comfort with each other where we would have the kind of talk where we'd learn about our previous partners.

Holding back a sigh, I drew another card from the box. "If you had to name one thing you've never done in bed, but would really like to try, what would that be?"

And there was the next highly offensive question.

Edward nursed his beer for a long moment, then looked me dead in the eye, saying one word only. "Anal."

Several emotions surged through me at his confession, the most prominent being shock — not lasting very long — relief at the realization there were things he hadn't already done and arousal at the idea of letting him do that to me.

I knew he was waiting for a reaction, so I tried not to give away too much, and instead, maybe shock him with a confession of my own. "I'd like to give up control for once, have someone I trust do whatever they want to me. That's a fantasy that totally gets me going."

Edward's reaction implied he was quite aroused by my words. I could see he wouldn't be averse to participating in my idea. However, the trust I mentioned had to be established first, and that would take time.

After emptying his bottle, Edward reached over and chose the next card. "When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?" Frowning, he mumbled, "What a weird question."

"It's not that weird," I replied, smiling at the dream I'd had when I was a child. "I always wanted to be a teacher and build a house in my parents' backyard, where I would live with my husband and three kids, two boys and a girl. My husband would work with my dad, and we'd live happily ever after. That was before my parents got divorced, and I learned there was a world beyond Forks, of course." I sighed nostalgically at the fantasy my four-year old self had conjured up. "What did you want to be? Fireman? Pilot? Police officer?"

"Well, if you put it like that, I wanted to be an astronaut. I was fascinated with space, so much so that my parents gave me a telescope for my sixth birthday. Then, when I grew up, I realized it was highly unlikely I'd ever get into a space shuttle … And around the same time, I discovered computer games, and that I was good in all things science. So I pursued that path." His small smile was slightly regretful.

The image of little Edward gazing at the stars, dreaming about traveling into space, was so endearing I almost forgot to choose the next card until Edward grabbed the box and held it up to me.

Reaching out, I drew one from the middle, unsure if I wanted to know the answer to the question on it.

"When and how was the last time you had sex?"

Out of the blue, Edward choked on his beer. Coughing like a dying man, he tried to regain his bearings. "Dare!" That was the first word he got out when his fit slowly ended.

"Dare?" I asked in disbelief.

He took another drink, soothing his upset throat. "Yes, dare, please."

Stunned, I picked up the box we hadn't opened so far, frowning as I pulled out a random card. It was obvious he didn't want to answer that question, which had me intrigued about what he could be hiding. Putting that on the back burner, I read him his dare.

"Talk dirty for two minutes."

He huffed noisily. "Shit. I can do that." Emptying his bottle, he set it down, then loosened his shoulders. When he was done, he set the alarm on his phone before leaning over to me, wiggling his brows. As he started to talk, his voice was low, raspy, and seductive. "Oh, baby, you have no idea how _hard_ it is for me to stay away from you when you bite that plump, sexy lip of yours." I wasn't even aware I was doing it until his thumb made my teeth ease up.

"Dammit, every time I see your mouth swollen like that, I imagine it wrapped around my cock." He was so close I could feel his breath on the side of my neck. "Fuck, if you only knew how horny I am right now. I'd love to rip off your shirt and expose those gorgeous tits of yours to bite and suck your pert little nipples."

Closing my eyes, I felt his nose nuzzle my ear. "Shit, Spice, your smell is doing things to me. I can only imagine the heady scent of your pussy. If you would let me, I'd make you feel soooo good. I'd lick your hot little clit, and slowly, agonizingly slowly, I'd slip first one then two fingers into your tight kitty. You'd go crazy with lust. Then I'd make my fingers fuck you good and proper while my mouth licks and sucks your clit until you can't hold back and scream out my name, coming all over my face."

I was close to exploding from solely his words when his hand lightly touched my thigh above my knee, moving up teasingly slow. "Not giving you the chance to come down, I'd quickly crawl up your delectable body, pushing my rock-hard cock into you with one strong thr—"

His words were cut off by the alarm, indicating the two minutes were up. "Dammit! And I hadn't even really started to fuck you."

Suppressing a groan, I felt his hand change course, heading for my burning-hot core. "Now, how wet did that get you? You want me to finish you off? Because I know I could do it in way less than two minutes. Want me to prove it? Or would you like to do something about that raging hard-on that's threatening to rip through my pants? You've been a tease for long enough now."

I was almost ready to give in when, all of a sudden, my phone started to ring, making us jump apart as though we'd been caught doing something forbidden.

"Dammit," I muttered as I reached for the offending object, grumbling at the sight of my mother's name on the screen. Even though talking to her was the last thing on my mind, I knew it would only get worse if I didn't take her call now. With an apologetic look to Edward, I hit "Accept" and made my way over to the bedroom for some privacy.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted with as little irritation as possible.

Her chipper reply didn't do much to improve my mood. "Oh, honey, I'm so glad to hear your voice. Knowing you work late and Phil's out of town, I thought now was the ideal time for a little mother-daughter chat. How was your honeymoon? Where are you living? I talked to Jacob, and he said you moved out earlier this week. Is Edward treating you right? Come on, you have to tell me _everything!_ "

And with that, I knew I'd be stuck talking to my mother for at least the next hour.

****TtK****

It was way past midnight when I ended the phone call. After reciting every good thing I could remember about Mexico — leaving out all the fights and disappointments — I told her about the new apartment and painted my new married life in the best possible colors without straight up lying to her. Thinking about yesterday's and tonight's round of 'Truth or Dare', I was again hopeful we still had a chance.

Although we weren't at the point where I'd pictured us to be when consummating our marriage, things had progressed somewhat naturally tonight. If my mother hadn't called when she did, I believed we might have taken our relationship around a few bases.

When I was done answering all of my mom's questions, I had to listen to her rambling on about what she and Phil had done over the past couple weeks. We finally hung up, promising to talk more soon.

Sorry to have left Edward the way I did, I made my way back into the living room, only to find him asleep on the couch, the TV showing some typical guy movie. I didn't want to wake him, but feeling a strong pull to sneak a peek at my gorgeous husband slumbering peacefully, I tiptoed over, crouching down next to his angelic face.

Edward was a mystery to me on good days and a pest on the bad ones. The way he ran hot and cold, jumping from cocky, over-confident asshole to a stammering, insecure, but sweet boy had my mind spinning. I honestly wished he could find some middle ground.

Sleeping and relaxed in front of me, I had to fight hard not to reach out and caress his face or touch his pouty lips. Instead, I forced myself to stand up. But before leaving him to go to bed, I switched off the TV and picked up the blanket lying on the armrest close to his feet. Spreading it, I covered his still form so he might rest more comfortably.

"Sweet dreams," I whispered as I breathed a feather-light kiss against his forehead.

****TtK****

No matter how much headway we'd made the previous night, it all went to shit the next morning. Everything was fine — nice even — until Garrett wrapped up our morning shoot with the question about our day.

"So, what are you guys doing tonight, considering it's Bella's first night off since your return? Any big plans?"

I noticed Edward's eyes widen almost imperceptibly, but didn't know what that was all about.

"Not really, no. I mean, Edward will have to work." With surprise, I realized I didn't even know when he usually came home; considering he was typically home already when I arrived. "But maybe we'll do something together later." It came out more like a question than a statement.

Across the table, Edward appeared to grow uncomfortable, fidgeting in his chair. "Um, I actually do have plans … with Em and Seth." When I started to frown, he was quick to add, "We do this every Monday. I'm sorry."

"And what's so important you can't take a rain check or move the thing to another day?" I asked with barely hidden irritation. "I told you last week that Monday was my one night off."

Edward ran his hand through his head nervously. "It's about the game, you know. We already had to reschedule last week's meeting. We're in a bit of a time crunch."

The game, the game. Always the game. "So, this game is more important than spending my one day off with me — your _wife_."

"It's not more important, but it has been around longer. I'll come home as soon as I can. You can set up for our session and I'll promise to make it quick. Maybe this time we won't be interrupted." His apologetic eyes turned playful, and I was somewhat appeased by his remorse and the promise of some time together later tonight.

****TtK****

In the early morning hours, Edward stumbled into the apartment, waking me with loud curses when he accidentally ran into a chair.

I'd set up 'Truth or Dare' around eight, not knowing when to expect Edward home. At nine, I started to become agitated, pissed he kept me waiting without a word. By ten, I'd fired off several messages, asking him when or if he planned to grace me with his presence. When he wasn't home or had sent any kind of reply by eleven-thirty, I furiously cleaned up and went to bed.

Groaning at the rude awakening, I rolled out of bed to go see what was going on. Opening the door to the living room, I found a slightly disheveled-looking Edward hopping around on one foot, holding the other. His appearance, as well as his movements, indicated he hadn't just been working but downed a drink or ten during his _meeting_. "I see you found your way home," I stated in a loud and exasperated voice.

Almost falling over, he turned to me. "Dammit, Spice, you scared me." His speech was slightly slurred.

"Now I see what you mean when you say you have to 'work on the game' and you're 'in a time crunch.' It must have been so bad you didn't even find the time to let me know you weren't coming to our session." If looks could kill, he'd be dead by now.

His face fell slightly. "Oh shit! I totally forgot."

"Sure you did. And your phone obviously didn't work either." My eyes started to sting with tears of frustration and disappointment, but I couldn't let him see them. Instead, I decided to express my pain and irritation. "I understand clearly now where I rank in your list of priorities, Edward. If you're not willing to work on our marriage, then I won't continue to bend over backwards to do it on my own. I'm done trying."

Edward stood with his mouth open, watching me as I went into the bedroom and returned with his pillow, throwing it on the couch. "Here, sleep it off."

Without another word, I went back to bed, lying awake for most of the night, emotion choking my throat as I tried to accept my defeat.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Before you say anything, I promise this is the lowest they can get — for now. From here on out, things can only go up. With that being said, how did you like their little game? Was Carlisle a genius for suggesting it or what? Sadly, the typical perpetually-single guy in Edward messed up in the end. But as I said, the only way is up.

Here's a sneak peek:

… " _You stop touching my wife with your filthy paws or I'll rip off your arms," I snarled at him in the most menacing tone I could muster. …_

Oh no! What now? I don't want to give away too much but I promise next chapter things are going to get juicy ;). Good idea or good idea? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

See you in two weeks.


	12. Chapter 12 - Unrestrained Collision

**A/N:** Hi my friends. Thank you so much for the overwhelming reaction to last chapter. It got more reviews in one day than the one before did in two weeks. I know not all of you are happy with the way things are going. I can't wait to find out how you like this one ;).

I couldn't do any of this without the help of three wonderful ladies: **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl**. Those three make sure everything makes sense, all 'i's are dotted and all 't's are crossed.

Now, on to story. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married At First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 12 – Unrestrained Collision

~Edward~

Tuesday morning, I woke up with a massive hangover. At first, I was startled to realize I'd slept on the couch, but a few moments later, it all came back to me in a tidal wave of embarrassment, shock, and most of all, regret.

Things had gone well Saturday and Sunday night. Our little game of 'Truth or Dare' definitely brought us closer. I was surprised to find out we were more alike than I initially thought. Not only had we both waited until college to lose our virginity, but our views of ideal dates meshed well, too.

Hearing that my pick-up lines were the worst ever used on her was a bit of a blow to my ego. I'd known they were less than stellar, but that didn't dampen the mood.

Although I'd have pegged Bella to be a bit uptight until then, learning about her favorite positions and listening to her tell me about her secret fantasies made me realize there was a vixen inside her waiting to be unleashed. Not only that, but I'd come fairly close to actually touching her when her stupid phone ruined the moment.

Everything had progressed naturally and smoothly until Bella asked the one question I wasn't willing to answer — under any circumstances. I didn't care how bad the resulting dare would be, if only I didn't have to confess my tryst with Vicky two days prior to our wedding. At the time, I hadn't seen any fault with it, considering it was what Vic and I did. We were two friends scratching an itch — nothing more, nothing less — and since we always used protection, I wasn't compromising my health, either.

Looking back now, I wished I could take that one night back so I could tell Bella I hadn't had sex in months — as she probably had. Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking fast enough to come up with a reasonable lie, so I accepted my fate when I decided to do a dare.

Talking dirty wasn't something I did often, but I could handle it. As soon as I noticed Bella's reaction to my words, I decided to go a little further, leaning in and letting her get the full effect. I was hard as a rock when the alert informed me the two minutes were up, and I would have bet Bella's panties were soaked. Regardless, I was a little surprised she didn't stop my advances when I started to make a move. And damn! I wanted her so bad, but her fucking phone had to put an end to my explorations.

After that, the evening was over. I must have fallen asleep while Bella chatted with her mother, but when I woke up yesterday morning, I had to smile when I saw she had covered me with a blanket.

The rest of the day was one disaster after another. First, our shoot that morning didn't go as planned, with Garrett asking about our plans and me completely forgetting about Bella's day off. If I'd remembered, I'd have canceled on the guys, but I knew Emmett's schedule was full for the rest of the week, and Seth would be out of town from Tuesday to Saturday. That meant for us to stay on schedule, our only chance was to meet on Monday.

To be honest, Bella took it much better than expected. After her initial irritation with the fact I'd forgotten she'd be off work, she recovered quickly, and we made plans for later that night. Everything would have worked out fine had the guys and I not finished our game ahead of schedule and celebrated that success. Somewhere between our first drink and midnight, my sense of time went out the window, and my hearing must have suffered, too. I didn't notice my phone chirping with the ten texts I found now that I looked at my missed calls and messages for the first time.

 _Fuck! This time I really fucked up!_

I had no idea how it happened, but only when I saw Bella coming out of the bedroom, all rumpled from sleep, did I remember we were supposed to spend the evening engaging in our "therapy session."

Now that I recalled her words from last night, I winced at the finality in them. She was done trying. At least that was what she'd said. The problem was, I was more than willing to work on us, but I had no idea how to sort out the mess I'd gotten us into or if there was any hope left.

I was of a mind to pull the blanket over my head and hide until everything somehow blew over, but I had to admit to myself that it most certainly wouldn't. So, with shame and trepidation — and a jackhammer rattling in my head — I lifted myself up off the couch and tiptoed my way into the bedroom to get to the bathroom.

When I opened the bedroom door, I spotted Bella, lying on her side, facing toward me, but as soon as the light hit her, she squinted, frowned menacingly, and turned away from me.

Sad and defeated, I continued into the bathroom to get ready for work.

****TtK****

Breakfast was a quiet affair with neither of us looking at the other. Garrett huffed in exasperation several times, but since this wasn't the first time we were less than cordial with each other, he wasn't surprised. However, it was the first time we weren't even trying to hide our differences. Snide comments flew around, and in the end, I went to work without attempting to set up anything for that night.

****TtK****

In fact, things between Bella and me seemed to be irreparably broken. She didn't come home after her shift that night. Although I didn't know what to say when I saw her off camera again, I couldn't hide from her, either, due to the rather small size of our apartment. Acknowledging I was the one who'd messed up royally this time, and not wanting to impose on her, I set up camp on the couch.

I must have fallen asleep before she arrived, though, because she was in bed when I snuck into the bathroom the next morning. We shared another tension-laden breakfast and went our separate ways for the day.

That was our new routine, and by the way Garrett stopped trying to initiate conversation, he considered the experiment failed on our part, just as my wife obviously did. It hurt to realize we were stuck, but I was so wrapped up in my own guilt and remorse that I didn't see a way to change things.

By the time Friday rolled around, communication had totally ceased to exist at Casa Masen. We only talked when the camera was around, and apart from that, pretty much stayed out of each other's hair. I would have moved back in with Emmett if that hadn't meant admitting complete and utter failure.

Friday morning, seemingly accepting his advice for therapy had fallen through, Garrett, in a last-ditch attempt at getting us to talk about something — anything — asked us about our plans for the weekend. I didn't have any since Seth was still out of town, and Emmett and I usually hung out whenever he didn't have a date with Rosalie. Bella, however, sneered at my astonished face when she announced she was going out to party with her girlfriends.

I hadn't spoken to any of them apart from the few words we'd exchanged at our wedding reception, but at least two of them seemed to be game for almost anything. The idea of Bella out with them while pissed at me irked me to no end.

All the same, I couldn't do anything about it and had to grin and bear it — and maybe get wasted so I wouldn't worry until she came home … if she came home.

Not for the first time, though, fate had a completely different idea.

****TtK****

"Drink up, bro. You need to loosen up. I don't think your wife is sitting in a corner somewhere, crying over you."

Em was probably right. When I'd shown up on his doorstep earlier tonight, he'd heard me out and decided to drag me to a bar Rose praised, insisting I drink away my sorrows. The music was loud and blaring and kept me from hearing my own repetitive thoughts. Yes, drinking myself stupid was a fantastic idea.

After my third beer and fourth tequila shot, I let my eyes scan the room for something — or someone — to make me forget about my debacle of a marriage. That was when my gaze landed on the face that had been haunting my dreams as well as my every waking thought for the past three weeks.

I couldn't believe that, out of all the bars in Manhattan, we'd actually chosen the same one to hang out in tonight.

Bella's eyes were closed as she moved to the music; her hands above her head as she sensually swayed her hips. She was dressed enticingly in black skinny jeans, a tight sparkly top, and killer heels. Her hair fell around her shoulders in loose waves, just as it had the night after our wedding. Her face looked as naturally beautiful as it always did, with the addition of darker eyes and redder lips.

Watching her lost in her own world, shaking her hips to the R&B song, put a wistful smile on my face. I could stare at her forever as she relished the beat, dancing, lost in her thoughts and emotions.

Then, out of nowhere, a set of tatted arms wrapped around her hips, pulling her close to a toned body in a skin-tight T-shirt and fitted jeans. Instantly, my alcohol-addled senses were on high alert, observing the stranger pawing at my wife.

I thought I was hallucinating when Bella's eyes opened and locked on mine. For a long moment, we only stared at each other, until she squinted with contempt. Breaking eye contact with a little smirk that seemed to mock and challenge me at the same time, she turned around, weaving her arms around T-shirt-guy's neck and dry humping him right there on the dance floor. The asshole seemed to love that shit because his hands swiftly wandered down, grabbing her ass to pull her hips closer to his.

Instantly, I saw red. Slamming my beer bottle down on the table, I ignored Emmett's shouts to keep calm and charged across the room, pushing my way through throngs of gyrating bodies, until I got to Bella and her dance partner. Reaching out, I grabbed both his wrists and pulled them away from my woman's figure.

"You stop touching my wife with your filthy paws or I'll rip off your arms," I yelled in the most menacing tone I could muster.

His hands immediately flew up in a defensive gesture as he countered, "Sorry, man. Didn't know she was taken. It's not as if I had to force her or anything."

My eyes were glued to Bella's, which were glowering at me with disdain. Without uttering another word, I grabbed her by the elbow and resolutely marched her out of the club and deposited her in the first cab waiting at the curb. She huffed at me but didn't put up much of a fight when I slid in after her, telling the cabbie to take us home.

The drive was silent and full of tension, and as soon as we came to a halt in front of our building, she was out, slamming the door shut as though she could get away from me that easily.

I threw a couple of bills at the driver, then rushed after a furious Bella. As I entered the lobby, I watched the doors of the elevator close with my wife flipping me off. Fuming with rage, I rushed toward the stairway, racing up the five flights of stairs to our floor. Embarrassingly winded, I made it to our door just in time to keep Bella from slamming it in my face.

As I stood there, catching my breath, I watched Bella storm into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her with a loud bang.

I'd had enough! Enough of tiptoeing around her. Enough of watching my every word and fucking up anyway. Enough of her being pissed at me constantly, and making a fool of me in public or in front of the camera.

Having almost regained my normal breathing, I followed her into our bedroom, throwing the door open so it crashed against the wall.

"What the hell is your problem?" Bella shouted without turning around to look at me.

"What's my problem?" I sneered. " _You_ are my problem. No wife of mine will ever rub herself all over another man!"

Hearing my words, she whirled around, fiery eyes burning into mine. "No wife of yours? Who the fuck do you think you are?" The questions were delivered in a volume that ensured the neighbors knew exactly what was going on.

I took a few steps toward her, literally getting in her face, because I'd had it with her attitude. "I'm your fucking husband!"

"Husband?" she replied with a snort. "If that's really what you think you are, then maybe you should fucking act the part!"

If she wanted me to act like her husband, I could certainly oblige her. Without wasting another second, I crashed my lips to hers; my hands grabbing her hips and pulling her body flush to mine. Before I got a chance to deepen the kiss, Bella's teeth came out, biting my lip as her palms pushed against my chest. Shocked by her violent reaction, I pulled back, narrowing my eyes at her. On her face, I found a mixture of lust and revulsion, and as keyed up as I was, I counted on the lust taking the upper hand when I leaned in again; this time it was me biting her with as much want but less force.

Her perfect lips opened with a gasp, and I took advantage of the sudden access and pushed my tongue into her mouth. Although her hands continued to fend me off, her tongue did the exact opposite as it tangled with mine in the most passionate kiss I'd ever experienced. It resembled a battle where no one was willing to give an inch.

My fingers moved up from Bella's hips, sneaking under the hem of her top, feeling the soft skin of her waist, while her fingers clutched the fabric of my shirt hard, anchoring her to me. It was the closest we'd ever been, but it wasn't enough. Then, as I started to pull up her top, Bella ripped open my shirt, scattering buttons all over the room.

We parted for a moment, panting, when I jerked her top over her head, bearing a sheer black bra, and lots and lots of creamy white skin. Desperate for more, I pushed Bella backward until the backs of her knees hit the bed, and she let herself fall onto the mattress. I deftly unhooked the button of her jeans and tugged them down, before I shed my torn shirt and crawled on top of Bella.

She gazed up at me with equal parts fury and desire shining in her eyes. Once more, I crushed my lips to hers, kissing her with something akin to violence, but she gave as good as she got. Her nails bit into my back in a last attempt to make me believe she didn't want me — didn't want this — when her whole body screamed for me to take her and make her mine.

I left her mouth to bite and suck down the column of her neck, spurred on by the moans rumbling in her chest as I fumbled with the hooks at the back of her bra. Once opened, I tore it off and threw it to the side, reveling the sight in front of me. She was _perfect_. Her tits were exactly the right size, pert, with her rosy nipples pebbled. As I slid farther down her body, I took one little peak into my mouth, biting lightly, earning myself a hiss from Spice. Yes, she definitely was a vixen waiting to be unleashed.

Fidgeting with my belt and button fly, I wiggled myself out of my jeans and boxer briefs as my teeth pulled on Bella's other nipple, making her fingers tear on my hair with a force that almost hurt. I couldn't take anymore. Impatiently, I ripped off the scrap of lace posing as a thong, revealing bare, pink, glistening folds. Dammit! I needed her, and now!

Not even taking the time to admire my first full view of her tat, I made my way back up her body; my throbbing cock placing itself conveniently right at her entrance. With my lips touching her ear, I whispered in a voice strangled with need, "Please, tell me you're on the pill."

Just as desperate as I was, she replied, "I am."

Groaning with relief, I pushed my hips forward, sheathing my rock-solid erection in her scorching heat.

Spice clawed at my back as I stretched her to accommodate my length and girth.

"Shit," I choked out, almost overwhelmed with the intensity of the moment. I had no idea if it was the fact I'd never gone without a condom or that, for once, it was more than merely sex. Whatever the reason, I had to take a minute to calm down and keep myself from blowing my load embarrassingly premature.

For the longest time, Bella held still, apparently getting used to whatever was happening between us, as well. Eventually, she needed more and started to wriggle her hips. So I gave in and began the age-old rhythm of easing out and thrusting in, gradually losing myself more in the woman claiming me.

Bella appeared just as lost as she clung to me with desperation. My lips were at her neck, licking and sucking as the force of my hips slamming against her increased. I pushed her left leg up higher to change the angle and was rewarded with more feral moans from my wife. Skin rubbing against skin, slick with perspiration, Bella's nails dug into the flesh of my back, surely breaking skin as the walls of her pussy began fluttering around my cock.

When her walls gripped me like a vice, my mouth closed over hers to swallow her cries of pleasure. Knowing I only had a few pumps left until I'd spiral out of control, I was glad to have gotten her to that point in time. With her heels digging into my ass, and her fingers scratching painfully at my back, I came so hard I saw stars.

Time stood still for an immeasurable amount of time as I covered Bella with my body, careful not to squash her with my weight. Silently catching our breath, neither of us seemed to know what to say. In hopes we'd finally made some headway, I was afraid that whatever came out of my mouth could ruin everything again. Still, I felt the restless need to break the silence.

"Now that our marriage is consummated, at least neither of us can get out with an annulment." It was a stupid thing to say, but apart from lewd comments about her or my sexual prowess, those were the only words on the tip of my tongue.

Even more, I was surprised to hear her whispered reply, "Who says I want out?"

An involuntary smile made my lips curl up, and I tenderly kissed the spot behind her ear. Words failed me, so I hoped it was enough to assure her that neither did I.

We stayed in our position for a moment longer, a somewhat awkward silence surrounding us, until, wiggling out from under me, Bella non-verbally alerted me to the mess we'd made. As she slipped into the bathroom, I let myself plop down on my back.

 _I had sex with Bella. I had sex with my wife — my Spice. And it was better than I'd imagined!_

It didn't take long until she reemerged, dressed in a tight tank top and barely-there boy shorts. She glanced at me with trepidation and uneasily slipped under the rumpled covers.

Taking my turn, I went to clean myself up, returning in a fresh pair of boxer briefs. If nothing else, our sleep attire was becoming less formal. Following Bella's lead, I went over to my side of the bed, pulling the blanket over me.

We both lay on our back, staring up at the dark ceiling when a groan followed by a giggle-snort broke the silence. "I think I'm a bit drunk!"

Chuckling to myself, because I was at least as drunk as she was, I rolled over, placing a lingering kiss on her cheek. "Sleep it off, then, Spice. Sweet dreams."

****TtK****

When I woke up Saturday morning, it took me a moment to convince myself what had happened the previous night hadn't been a dream. For one, for the first time in almost a week, I'd slept in our shared bed instead of on the couch. The other giveaways were the clothes and buttons scattered all around the room.

Yeah, it happened.

Turning around slowly, my satisfied smile faded when I found the other half of the bed empty. I hadn't expected to wake up with Bella cuddled into me — hell, I'd never been a cuddler myself — but seeing she'd left, or maybe even fled, made a knot form in my stomach.

After brushing my teeth, I threw on some lounge pants and a T-shirt, then ventured into the living room to look for my wife. I'd never admit it out loud, but deep down, I was afraid she'd bolted — and I was relieved to find her working her magic in the kitchen.

"Morning, Spice. You're up early." Suppressing my desire to sidle up to her, wrap my arms around her waist, and bury my face in the crook of her neck, I instead walked over to the breakfast bar and sat down on one of the stools.

Beautiful brown eyes met my green ones with a big dose of self-consciousness. "Morning. Um, I couldn't sleep. So I thought I'd try out the kitchen."

Though Bella was a chef through and through, it was actually the first time I saw her cook, and it was a sight to behold. Dressed in the same tank top and shorts from last night, she was expertly slicing and dicing onions and peppers, scrambling eggs, and turning it all into an omelet; all the while making it look as though it was the easiest thing in the world.

I was about to open my mouth to address the elephant in the room when a knock on the door announced the arrival of the camera crew from hell.

Apparently, we had to postpone our talk if we didn't want it on film.

****TtK****

We made our way through a tiresome hour of walking on eggshells with our conversation to neither give away too much nor give off the wrong vibe. Being the perceptive director he was, Garrett, of course, noticed the major shift in the way we conducted ourselves around each other. We didn't speak about anything significant that happened over the past twenty-four hours. Instead, we chatted about nothing of importance, sharing little insights into our daily work life.

Although he was obviously suspicious of our sudden change, Garrett let us be, leaving us an hour alone until our next guest arrived. Not wanting to let things get even weirder, and to avoid having to discuss last night's activities for the first time in front of our therapist, I took the bull by its horns and addressed the sensitive issue hanging in the air.

"Spice, um, Bella, I don't want this to be awkward. Last night was … wow." I noticed a little smug smile play around her lips, which was all the encouragement I needed. "I know we're doing this all backwards, but … would you go out with me tonight?"

She turned around, her jaw hanging slack. "You're asking me out?" She sounded incredulous, which was really cute.

"You're my wife. I want to take out my wife and show her off." To be honest, I only wanted to spend time with her and maybe get a repeat performance of last night, but first, I needed to charm her into accepting.

She swallowed, folding some clothes that had been lying around, her face falling slightly. "I won't get off work until ten."

Quickly rearranging my non-existent plans, I offered an alternative solution. "Then we'll go see a movie or something after I pick you up when you're done tonight. Deal?"

She gave me a smile way more insecure than I'd ever seen on her, but agreed. "Deal."

My heart did a little skip as she held my gaze for a long minute. I had three more weeks to convince Bella to stay married to me because, after last night, I sure as hell wasn't willing to let her go without a fight.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Do you agree we can call this progress? Finally. *sighs in relief* Many of you will be pissed with Bella's actions at the club but maybe we can accept it as a case of the end justifying the means — and what an end it was. I felt a little rusty writing the lemon, considering it's been over a year I wrote the last one. I hope you liked it anyway.

Now, where are they going from here? Teaser? Here you go:

… " _You should get ready for bed." Then he kissed my cheek lightly and smiled with amusement at my befuddled expression. …_

Oh no! No kiss goodnight? Does that mean the date went wrong? Are there any other possible explanations? Let me know what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction._

See you in two weeks.


	13. Chapter 13 - Slow and Steady

**A/N** **:** Hi there and welcome to the date. I'm glad most of you liked last chapter's developments and are eager to see if our newlyweds are finally moving in the right direction.

As always, I had lots of help. Please, give a big round of applause to my team, **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl** for taking the time and patience to put up with me. They're just wonderful.

So, now let's see what the date brings, shall we? See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married At First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 13 – Slow and Steady … Wins the Date

~Bella~

After taking a sip of his water, Carlisle began our therapy session by assessing the situation in front of him. "I can see a few things have changed around here." He didn't elaborate but let his gaze linger on the way Edward and I were sitting a lot closer on the couch than we had last week.

Well, things had definitely changed — a lot! On Monday night, when Edward had shown his disregard for my feelings and for our marriage in general, I was ready to admit defeat and declare our experiment a failure. It hurt like hell, and it wasn't easy for me to admit things weren't working out, but when Edward didn't show the slightest bit of effort to get us back on track, I was done.

I was still willing to fulfill my contract and finish the six weeks, but I wasn't going to give my husband any more chances to cause emotional pain by disrespecting me or forgetting I was around at all. As the week wore on, our communication decreased from barely-there to virtually non-existent. So, when Tanya called me Thursday to ask if I wanted to go to a club on Friday, I jumped at the chance to escape the tension in our apartment for one night, blow off some steam, and maybe forget my dire situation for a couple hours. Little did I know my problems would catch up with me faster than I could have imagined.

I'd had some drinks and was feeling rather relaxed when I followed Tanya out onto the dance floor. I let the music take over and my body move without conscious thought. As usual, it didn't take long for Tanya to draw in a male dance partner and a short while later, she was gone from my sight. However, it didn't matter to me, since I was tipsy enough not to mind.

After a number of songs, a tall, solid body came up from behind. It took some effort to suppress the nagging thoughts reminding me I was a married woman and was acting completely out of character. Still, I closed my eyes, and for a minute, I gave into the illusion that everything was normal, all right, and felt good. When I opened my eyes, though, they landed on a pair of furious green ones at the far end of the room. Our eyes stayed locked for an endless moment until I made the fateful decision to show my husband that, if he didn't care about me, there were other guys who did — if only for a dance.

Breaking our stare, I turned around and started to move purposefully with the not-completely-unattractive guy who'd been grinding his erection into my ass. It gave me a boost of confidence to get that kind of attention, but it didn't feel good or even erotic to be this close to the stranger in front of me. What felt great, though, was to know Edward didn't enjoy the show.

I realized I hadn't thought things through when my fuming husband suddenly pulled the stranger's hands off me, fixed him with a death glare, and dragged me out of the club as though I were a disobedient child. Recovering my wits and unwilling to make a public scene, I didn't object when he pushed me into the cab. However as soon as we halted in front of our building, I was out and on my way to our apartment.

Again, I hadn't had time to plan ahead much when, of course, Edward stormed into the bedroom only seconds after I made it there. What happened then was something out of a book, or movie — a porn movie, most certainly.

When I accused Edward of not acting like a husband and dared him to change that, he almost attacked me with his fierce kiss. Too riled up and still pissed, I fought him for a bit, but my defenses crumbled rapidly when my body recognized the chance to finally get what it had been craving for too long.

And dammit, if it wasn't the best sex I could remember having — ever. It was everything I imagined, and so much more.

However, it wasn't as though we'd made any progress on a personal level. Yes, we'd been physically intimate, but we hadn't made any headway concerning our differences. Consequently, this morning, things were expectedly awkward. Edward had left several marks on my neck, which was weirdly as sexy as it was annoying, but luckily, my loose hair had hidden it from our director, and hopefully, the viewers. At least we found a way to chat about insignificant stuff during our camera time — something we hadn't managed to do in over a week.

But what happened after the crew left was the biggest surprise of all: Edward asked me out on a date.

"Let's start by you telling me how your little game went." Carlisle's voice pulled me back into the present.

Edward, who'd been looking straight ahead at our therapist, quickly glanced over, meeting my eyes for a second; one corner of his mouth curling up into a small, lopsided grin, making me feel butterflies in my stomach.

"We learned a lot about each other."

Carlisle chuckled with amusement. "That much I expected. So, was it hard for you to share intimate details with your partner?"

"It turned out to be easier than I thought," I told him with audible surprise. "Though some things I'd never shared with anyone else."

The psychologist nodded appreciatively. "Did either of you use the dare option?"

Sheepishly, Edward averted his eyes before he answered, "I did once."

I frowned slightly as I remembered I was still eager to know what that had been about. It wasn't as though the question was particularly tricky or embarrassing. Or was it?

"So, was it difficult to do the dare? I know there were some that were fairly … daring." Carlisle quirked an eyebrow suggestively.

Edward shot me a quick little smirk, but held my gaze when he said, "No, it was actually fun."

"I'm getting the feeling that a little dare isn't all that happened here. But if you don't want to tell me, that's fine, as long as you're both okay with it, and it seems that you are." He peered between the two of us, then set his notebook to the side. "Okay, our next goal is for the two of you to spend time together — here and outside of the apartment. Do things you both like. I'm aware Bella's work hours don't make things easy, but I take it, Edward, you don't usually go to bed by ten. So, I'm sure you'll find a way. For example, from our interview, I remember Edward can't cook. Maybe you could teach him a bit, Bella."

We both nodded, agreeing it was definitely something we could do. After that, he asked us if there was anything else we wanted to discuss, and since Edward didn't seem any more inclined to share the previous night's shenanigans than I was, Carlisle left us with the reminder that we could call him whenever we needed him.

By the time we were alone again, I had to get ready for work, and not only that, I needed to select an outfit to take with me that would be adequate for a date later tonight. It was a sunny summer day, and therefore would be a lovely warm evening, and if our discussion about perfect dates had told me anything, it was that Edward wasn't the type of guy who enjoyed things too formal. So, I opted to wear a short flowing skirt with a floral print, a white sleeveless blouse, ballerina flats, and a jean jacket, in case it got cold. Out of pure necessity, I added a scarf to hide the worst of the marks on my neck.

Once I was dressed, I stepped into the living room, where Edward immediately killed the TV. "Are you ready?" he asked as he got up from the couch.

"Yeah, I have to go, or I'll miss the next train and end up being late." Opening my purse, I made sure I had everything I needed to stay out after work.

Edward was quick to jump to the door. "There's no need to take the subway. I'll drive you."

Confused, I looked at him questioningly. "You have a car?"

"I do. Come on. I'll show you."

****TtK****

And what a nice car it was. The black 1978 Mustang was very well preserved with an engine that practically purred as Edward wove his way through the Saturday morning traffic. Jake, who'd been a car enthusiast during high school, would have killed for a ride like that. Sadly, he'd had to give up his passion and find a new one after our move east because, let's face it, owning a car in Manhattan was an indulgence most people couldn't afford.

"So, how long have you had this? It's not as if it's standard for Manhattanites to have cars. You know, with the subway, the traffic, and all." Even though it wouldn't take longer than ten minutes to get to Little Italy, I thought any kind of conversation would be a step forward.

Surprisingly, Edward frowned slightly, then answered evasively. "Got it a few months ago. It's pure luxury. And Emmett being jealous is a definite perk."

It was nothing but a childish attitude, but this boyish side of Edward was really cute.

"I don't drive around a lot, though. I mostly use it for trips outside the city."

Before we could talk any more, we'd arrived in front of _Volturi's_. To save Edward the trouble of finding a parking space, which was a real feat around there, I told him to double-park to let me out at the curb.

We sat in silence for a long minute. "I get off at half past nine tonight and should be ready to go by ten. Um, are you still picking me up?" I asked uncertainly while getting ready to leave the car.

"Sure, I'll be here," he replied with more confidence.

Seeing him throw me his signature smile, I plucked up the courage to lean over and place a quick peck on his lips, then jumped out of the car and skipped into work.

****TtK****

Considering it had been several months since my last serious date, I was a nervous mess throughout my whole shift. If Tyler, my sous-chef, hadn't been so observant, I might have set the whole place on fire more than once.

So I was relieved, but also strangely anxious, when the hands on the clock showed my workday was finally over. As soon as I'd given instructions for the clean-ups and preparations for the next day, I jumped into the shower, scrubbed off the kitchen smells, and dressed in the clothes I'd chosen earlier for our hopefully casual date. Not one to put much effort into styling, I simply blow dried my hair so it hung in loose curls around my shoulders and applied a bit of mascara and some lip gloss.

Taking a last deep breath, I emerged from the changing room and was shocked to find Edward and Marcus sitting together at a table near the kitchen door, chatting as though they'd been friends for years.

Curious, I approached them slowly, trying to catch pieces of their conversation. Unfortunately, Edward spotted me before I was in hearing distance, smiling brightly as I reached the table and placed a hand on my boss's shoulder.

"Isabella." My name rolled off Marcus's tongue in his endearing Italian accent. "I'm glad I get to meet your _sposino novello_ after you've kept him hidden so far. I told him what a great catch you are, but from what I hear, he already knew that." He smiled his proud grandfatherly smile, and my eyes flicked over to see Edward's reaction.

He appeared to be watching the interaction between my boss and me with fascination, then roused himself from his daze and came over to me to place a feather-light kiss on my cheek.

"I sure do." He gazed into my eyes for a second, then he looked over at Marcus once more. "Mr. Volturi, I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to take my wife out on a date now."

My boss's cloudy blue eyes twinkled. "You're allowed to take her, but only if you promise to treat her like a _principessa_. And I told you to call me Marcus."

"Okay, Marcus. I promise. Have a good night."

"Thanks, boss. See you Monday."

I almost flinched in surprise when, on our way out, Edward slipped his hand in mine and intertwined our fingers. That was definitely a first.

****TtK****

"I can't fathom where you put all that food and look like that." I gestured toward Edward's lean body as he stuffed another big spoon of ice cream into his mouth.

After picking me up from work, we'd taken a taxi to a bowling alley, where I'd wiped the floor with my husband. He had a bit of a tough time accepting I was better than him, grumbling that Wii Bowling wasn't as realistic as it was supposed to be. I didn't let his disappointment put a damper on my success, though, and celebrated every strike with a little victory dance.

Accepting his defeat — after three games of watching me win — he devoured an extra-large serving of chicken wings with fries while I contented myself with a turkey sandwich.

Now, enjoying the warm air of the New York summer night, we strolled home, indulging in a cone of the city's best ice cream — at least in my book. And again, Edward's serving was three times the size of mine.

Smiling wickedly, he answered, "Hey, I'm a growing boy. I need nourishment."

"Seriously," I started, while shaking my head, "you mostly eat junk food, and lots of it from what I see. How do you not weigh three hundred pounds and stay glued to your couch?"

My comment seemed to amuse him because he guffawed out loud. "First of all, if you saw Emmett eat, my servings would appear small. I've always had a fast metabolism, though, and Em and I hit the gym three to four times a week. So this —" he motioned toward his body "— is a work in progress."

Contemplating something to say, I remembered one of Carlisle's suggestions. "Maybe we should start on those cooking lessons our doctor ordered. Then you could ease up on your work-out regimen if you wanted."

Nodding, Edward seemed to agree when a thought hit him. "That reminds me, I talked to my mom earlier today, and she invited us to dinner tomorrow. Will —" He paused and lowered his voice. "Will you go with me?"

All of a sudden, he sounded like the shy guy I'd seen glimpses of here and there over the past few weeks. Although we were married already, and I was introduced to his parents at our wedding, this was a 'meet the parents' thing, and I hadn't done a lot of those in the past. It didn't seem like Edward had either, but those people were my parents-in-law, and I'd like to get to know them.

Trying not to appear too eager or too nervous, I went with, "Sure, it's my day off, and I don't have other plans."

"Great. My mom will be happy to meet you properly, Bella." He grinned, then swallowed down the rest of his ice cream.

Smiling at his enthusiasm, I thought back to our earlier talks about his family. I realized I didn't know much about them apart from the fact they lived in Newark, were still married, and had a rather active sex life; the last part definitely not being much of a conversation starter.

"Uhm, you don't talk much about your folks. I feel like I don't know anything about them. Can you tell me a bit more? Like, do you have any siblings?"

Edward stuck one hand in his pocket while the other one tentatively reached out for mine, entwining our fingers.

"I'm an only child, just like you. Initially, they wanted three kids, but somehow my mom couldn't conceive again after I was born. Didn't keep them from constantly trying, if you know what I mean." He wiggled his eyebrows while, at the same time, looking thoroughly disgusted.

Of course, I remembered our conversation about the sexual deviants our parents were. That was the first time I felt we had something in common. Not wanting to drift back to the issue that always shot everything to shit, I held on to the safer topic of his parents.

"What are they like? What do they do for a living?"

"Well," he began, swinging our joined hands back and forth, "my dad's a judicial officer. He works for Newark Family Court. He wanted to work in judiciary but didn't want to go to law school. He's really happy with what he's doing. My mom's a piano teacher. She loves to cook and read and take care of everyone."

"Does that mean you play the piano, too?" I asked. The thought of Edward sitting on a piano bench, playing for me, made me all kinds of hot and bothered.

He dipped his head, apparently embarrassed by my question. "I did … as a kid. But I wasn't very good. Then I discovered I had a knack for all things computer, and eventually, my mom gave up."

Seeing him this humble made my heart jump a bit. To make light of things, I decided a little teasing was in order. "So, you're telling me you're not perfect? I'm shocked!" I touched my hand to the middle of my chest in mock horror.

Edward's reply was somewhat contrite. "I'm definitely not."

Not giving me a chance to dwell on his strange mood swing or even question it, he continued to talk. "You never told me much about your folks, either. I remember your step-dad's a baseball coach, but what do the rest of your parents do?"

In the past, telling boyfriends about my father's job almost always caused them to cringe and maybe even turn tail and run, if only for a while. To be honest, that was one of the reasons I kept my V-card until I moved to New York. But considering Edward had already made an honest woman out of Chief Swan's little girl — albeit under unusual circumstances — he should be in the clear.

"My dad's Chief of Police to our small community of three and a half thousand people. He thinks he's oh-so threatening, but at his heart of hearts, he's just a big teddy bear." I chanced a swift glance over to see Edward's reaction, but apparently, he was taking the news rather well. "His wife, Sue, is Quileute — as is Jake, by the way — and she teaches high school kids on the nearby reservation. My mom, well, that's hard to say. She has a degree in literature from U-Dub, but she's done all kinds of things, like grooming dogs, working as a florist, or running a small daycare facility at our home. For her most recent career move, she started training to become a massage therapist." Shaking my head, I smiled at the thought of my unconventional, vivacious mother.

Edward chuckled. "She sounds like a real adventurer."

"That she is." I was quick to confirm. "She's always felt the need to reinvent herself every few years. Sometimes, it was a job. At other times, she dragged me to temples on Sabbaths or made me attend hippie gatherings in the desert. I can tell you, it's not easy to have a hundred, long-haired, stoned, and mostly-unwashed weirdos around you when you're not old enough to even drink."

My rendition elicited a hearty laugh from my fascinated husband.

"However strange she is, she's my mom, and I love her."

We didn't get the chance to start in on another topic, because we found ourselves in front of our building. Used to first dates ending at the door — and this felt a lot like a first date — I slowed down instinctively until Edward pulled me with him past the entrance and into the waiting elevator.

We road up in silence, but not an uncomfortable one, with Edward squeezing my hand as we waited for the doors to open. With an encouraging smile, he led me out the elevator car and into our apartment, only letting go of me when he'd closed the door behind us.

"So, I had a great time, Bella." He turned to me, smiling, and touched my cheek tenderly. His expression then morphed from the sweet smile to a playful smirk. "Maybe I can call you so we can do this again?"

Understanding what he was getting at, I played along. "I'll see if I can make time."

Edward's eyes locked on mine and his smirk got wider as he leaned down. Giving in to the mood and the whole first date setting, my eyes closed on their own accord as they anticipated — even yearned for — the feeling of his mouth on mine.

After a long moment of waiting, I winced when his lips grazed my ear instead of my mouth.

"You should get ready for bed." Then he kissed my cheek and smiled with amusement at my befuddled expression.

I needed a minute to clear my hazy mind, swallowing my bout of disappointment. Then I did as he suggested, feeling his gaze on my back as I made my way into the bathroom.

Taking my time changing into my sleepwear, removing my makeup, and brushing my teeth, I finally returned to the bedroom. Edward was on his side of the bed, dressed in plaid pajama pants and a black T-shirt. His gaze that had been scanning some kind of computer magazine quickly found me, appraising me in my men's boxers and tank top. Without breaking eye contact, I climbed under the covers, as did Edward on his side, placing his magazine on the nightstand.

I followed an impulse, or maybe it was more of an instinct, when I rolled onto my side, leaned over to Edward, and covered his lips with mine. After a second of stunned rigidness, his mouth started to move underneath mine, one of his hands settling on my hip while the other came up to rest on the back of my neck.

His tongue grazed my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth to let him in, my own tongue greedily awaiting his. They stroked each other sensually, as my arms held me up to keep me from crashing on to Edward's chest. Before the kiss could really become heated and turn into more, I pulled back reluctantly, leaving him with a tender peck, then plopped onto my back.

"Good night, Edward," I rasped out hoarsely as I turned away from him with a smile, closing my eyes to sleep.

My husband chuckled quietly. "Good night, Spice. Sweet dreams." Then he switched off the light.

For the first time in three weeks, neither of us slept close to the edge of the bed. Instead, I could feel the warmth of his body somewhere near me, and with that comfort, I fell into a deep, restful sleep.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** I know the chapter was a bit on the short side, but the next one will fully make up for it in length. So, who agrees that the date was a success? And Edward kissing Bella's cheek was sweet, wasn't it?

Now, I have some news; good for me, not so good for you. I won't be able to post next chapter in two weeks because I'll be on family vacay for two weeks. We'll first spend a few days on an island, then go on a cruise. I'll try to post a few short teasers on FB during that time, but next chapter will probably not be posted until the 4th of July. However, I think I'm leaving you hanging in a very good place.

Even though it will be longer than usual until the next update, here's a teaser:

… " _May I have a taste, too?" I asked, and she dipped a clean spoon into the pot, holding it out to me._

 _Completely foregoing the offered sample, I leaned in and licked the spot from the corner of her mouth. …_

Huh, sounds interesting. What could they be doing? I'm sure you all know anyway ;). Still, tell me here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

See you in four weeks with a tan :).


	14. Chapter 14 - The Three Date Rule

**A/N:** Hi and Happy 4th of July to everyone in the US! Thank you all for your patience. My vacation was great and really needed. But now I'm back and working on the next chapters.

I need to bow to my team, **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** , and **LaPumuckl** for all their help with the chapter. They did a great job, as always.

Now, you've waited long enough. Enjoy the chapter. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 14 – The Tree-Date Rule

~Edward~

Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early, uncomfortable morning wood preventing me from falling back to sleep. I turned around to find Spice only inches away. She was lying on her side; her beautiful face was peaceful in deep slumber. Her long lashes were a stark contrast against her creamy skin. Her rosy lips, set in a slight pout, appeared to be daring me to kiss them.

If I could have asked God to create my perfect wife, she would have been it — and not only in the looks department. The time we spent together not fighting was great, and even when we screamed at each other, if I wasn't the one to constantly mess up, those fights were fun, too.

I reached out to brush a stray lock of hair out of her face as my thoughts returned to our date the previous night.

I'd been nervous all day, racking my brain to come up with something to do. Considering Bella got off work late, there weren't many options. Having a nice dinner somewhere was out of the question, since most kitchens were closed by the time we were able to get there. A movie wasn't a good idea either, because we wouldn't be able to talk — and going to a noisy club wouldn't be any better.

So, after thinking hard and remembering our talk about perfect dates, I decided to do something low-key and fun. My mom used to tell me how my dad took her bowling for their first date and that they had lots of fun, especially when he tried to teach her how to do it. Seeing I always won when bowling on the Wii with Em and Seth, I was sure I'd have a couple things to teach Bella, too.

However, it turned out Wii Bowling and the real thing didn't have much in common, the result being Bella beat me within an inch of my confidence. Part of me wanted to sulk and grumble about my wife winning against me in a game that was supposed to be rather manly, but when I saw her bouncing with glee at every strike, I couldn't help secretly enjoying her excitement and happiness.

To be honest, I was a little relieved when she confessed bowling was her and Jacob's regular Friday night activity back in Podunk, Washington. That meant it was the amount of training instead of dumb luck that made her better than me, but it soothed my battered ego only slightly.

Regardless, we had fun. Conversation was light and flowed easily, with time passing by in a blur. I had to admit I was unsure what to do when we finally reached our building. I hadn't been on a lot of dates over the past five or so years, and this was completely different from anything I'd ever done. I had no idea if I should kiss her goodnight, shake her hand, or drag her to bed and ravish her. My dick was definitely up for the latter — pun absolutely intended. Afraid to make a mistake, I decided to hide my insecurity behind a joke when I asked her if I could call her about a second date. She played right along, and it was difficult for me not to crush my lips to hers. Knowing I probably wouldn't be able to leave it at that, I felt it was better to kiss her on the cheek and send her ahead to bed.

Spice totally surprised me when she slid under the covers, leaned over to me, and kissed me with fervor. I was stunned still momentarily before I gave into the mood and joined in the impromptu make-out session. Relieved and disappointed at the same time, I let Bella pull away after a minute, keeping us both from letting things progress to a point where I wasn't sure we were ready for more. I was thoroughly entranced with my wife and wanted everything she was willing to give me, but for the first time in my adult life, I realized it might be better to let things progress slow and steady rather than jumping headfirst into sexual gratification.

Bella sighing in her sleep brought me back to the here and now. Like every time she was around, I was tempted to let my hands roam and discover the hidden secrets of her body. However, with things going as well as they currently were, I wasn't willing to risk the progress. Instead, I wanted to do something nice for her, so reluctantly, I got out of bed, did my business, and brushed my teeth, then I quietly made my way into the kitchen.

I'd have loved to serve my lovely wife breakfast in bed, but considering I was worth shit in the kitchen, there wasn't much I could do. Admitting yet another defeat, I settled for making coffee and toast, the latter turning out to be quite well done.

I gathered two coffee mugs — one with cream and sugar, one plain black — as well as a pile of toast with butter and a jar of jam, put them on a tray, and carried it to the bedroom. On my way, I came across a pot of blossoming red flowers and picked one as decoration for my tray.

When I set down my goods on Bella's nightstand, I noticed she had turned around and was now facing me, still sound asleep. Again, I was fascinated watching her sleep, her expression changing as her dream scenes apparently did. After some time, I felt the need to see her soft, chocolate eyes, so I deliberated how to wake her without startling her too much. What I really wanted was to wake her with a kiss, but I wasn't sure we were there yet. Instead, my gaze fell to the flower on the tray.

Reaching over, I picked it up, and on a whim, I started to tickle Bella's nose lightly with the blossom. She curled it up adorably, trying to get rid of the offending item. When she reached out to swat it away, she accidentally smashed it in her own face, which caused her eyes to squint before they gradually opened to slits.

I couldn't help but smile watching my Spice wake up like a newborn kitten. As soon as she realized what was going on, her eyes widened in surprise until she spotted the flower and smiled right back at me.

"Morning, Spice. I wanted to do something nice for you, like breakfast in bed." Frowning with embarrassment, I reached over and placed the tray in front of her on the bed. "Unfortunately, toast is all I can make, and not even that turned out very well."

Even though she tried her best, Bella wasn't able to completely hide her shock at the partially blackened bread. It took her a second, but then she grinned. "It's the thought that counts, right? And the most important thing is here." She pointed toward the mugs.

Quickly, I grabbed hers and lifted it up so she could grasp it more easily. Taking it from my hands, she put it to her lips and swallowed a large gulp.

"Hmmm," she moaned, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the taste. "And exactly how I like it."

I was pleased to see I'd gotten it right. I'd watched her prepare her morning ambrosia several times, trying to memorize the amount of milk and sugar that needed to go into it. Still, I wasn't sure I'd succeeded.

Surprising me once more, she leaned over the tray and touched her lips to mine softly.

"Thank you, Edward. This is one of the sweetest things anyone's ever done for me." She sat back, her eyes twinkling with joy. "Now, I believe there's enough for the both of us. Come back into bed and I'll share."

****TtK****

We spent one more hour in bed, laughing, eating burnt toast, and sharing some tender, innocent kisses. It was torture and heaven all at the same time.

Eventually, it was time to get up and start our day. Bella insisted on bringing something for dinner with my parents. I knew my mom would have planned everything to a T, but when I informed her my wife would be coming with me, she relented and agreed to let Bella bring dessert.

When I told Spice, she frowned slightly, saying she wasn't much of a pastry chef, but after a moment of contemplation, she came up with several ideas.

"What do you think your mom will be making?" she asked me as she started to leaf through half a library of cookbooks.

"Well, she knows I love roast beef, so she makes that probably eight times out of ten." She made several other things too, but the roast beef always stood out to me.

Spice paused for a moment, obviously thinking something over. "Basic American cuisine then. Well, that calls for an apple pie, or my variation of it." With a wink, she dashed off into the bedroom, only to come back wearing some cut-off jean shorts and a snug top, combined with a pair of worn, black Chucks.

Reaching for her purse, she turned to me. "Are you coming or what?"

"Coming? Where?" I inquired, thoroughly confused.

She looked at me as though I was completely dense. "Shopping for the ingredients, of course."

"Sure," I told her, still a bit irritated.

I quickly changed into a pair of Bermuda shorts, a T-shirt that said, "I Couldn't Be a Superhero, So I settled for Hot IT Guy" — a gift courtesy of Emmett — and some old sneakers, then joined my wife by the door.

Bella huffed with mock-exasperation when she noticed the message on my shirt. "It figures that's what you'd choose to go out in."

"I'll go change if you can tell me convincingly that it's not true," I challenged with a smirk.

She squinted her eyes then turned away from me, grumbling, "Cocky bastard."

Realizing that, for the first time, she called me that in good humor, I chuckled as I followed her toward the elevator.

****TtK****

Grocery shopping with Spice turned out to be quite the experience. While I usually pushed my cart aimlessly through every aisle, grabbing whatever caught my eye, she determinedly headed for each single item she needed for her super-special pie recipe. After fifteen minutes, we had flour, butter, sugar, some weird type of apple I'd never heard of, a bottle of French booze, a special brand of maple syrup, and several spices, some of which sounded more like positions from the _Kama Sutra_ than something to eat.

However, that comparative thought probably surfaced because I carried the two brown paper bags home while Bella kept wiggling her ass in front of me.

When we were back at the apartment, my own private chef decided now was as good a time as any to start educating me in the fine art of cooking — or rather baking. The first thing that had me stunned was how she kneaded the whole dough with her hands rather than using an electric mixing device, the way I'd seen my mother do it hundreds of times when I was a child.

While she was covered elbow-deep in flour, she put me to work, peeling, slicing, and dicing the apples. Hardly able to get the skin off without losing a finger, I was glad when all eight apples were cut into neat squares. But instead of Bella praising me and releasing me from further kitchen duty, she told me to add water, two shots of Calvados — which turned out to be the name of the French concoction — and three spoons of the special maple syrup. After putting it on the stove to simmer for a while, Spice advised me to put in pinches of all the Kama Sutra powders and half a teaspoon of cinnamon while stirring the whole mixture carefully.

It only took a few minutes until she tasted it and found it done to her satisfaction. I couldn't help but smile when I spotted a bit of the apple mixture stuck to the corner of her mouth.

"May I have a taste, too?" I asked, and she dipped a clean spoon into the pot, holding it out to me.

Completely foregoing the offered sample, I leaned in and licked the spot from the corner of her mouth. The whimper that came from the back of Bella's throat spurred me on, but before I got the chance to pull her closer and have at her the way I wanted to, there was a knock on the front door, making us jump apart as if we were naughty teenagers.

I wasn't sure if I should be glad we didn't get the chance to make a mistake or pissed we were cock-blocked. Either way, I went to open the door, never breaking eye contact with Spice, who still stood there, dazzled, with the spoon in her hand.

In the hallway stood Garrett and his guys, who immediately started to smirk when he saw the surprise on my face.

"I hope we're coming at a bad time," he greeted, waggling his brows.

 _Dammit!_ With everything going so well, I'd completely forgotten about our schedule for today.

Opening the door wider, I motioned for them to come in. "No, it's fine. We're … um … baking."

Looking knowingly suspicious, the director told me to get back to what I'd been doing while his people set up their equipment. All of a sudden, a tension existed between Bella and me that hadn't been there earlier. She continued to prepare the dough, rolled it out, and put it in a pie dish, then had me add the apple filling, covering the whole thing with another layer of dough; all the while commenting on her actions like a Food Network hostess.

When the pie was safely in the oven, Garrett asked us to sit down and give a quick rundown of our morning, since we assured him we'd already given statements about our date on our handheld camera. He appeared to be pleased with my bringing Bella breakfast in bed and our outing to shop for groceries; even though he'd have preferred it to happen in front of his camera.

When he was satisfied with his footage and declared the shoot done, he asked whether there was a chance of them coming with us to dinner at my parents', but I turned him down, assuring him my parents were very private people and would never sign the necessary consent forms. I had no idea if it was the truth or not, but I did not intend to give the network any more of our private time than was mandatory. Garrett was a bit disgruntled, but let it go when we promised to each do a special-length comment later tonight.

****TtK****

The pie was ready and sitting on the kitchen counter while I waited for Bella to emerge from the bedroom so we could get on our way to Newark. I was about to go ask her what was taking her so long when the door opened and Bella appeared, dressed in a flowing, purple dress that ended about two inches above her knee. It wasn't too revealing, but caressed her gentle curves perfectly.

The shy voice of my Spice made me pick up my jaw that had dropped to the floor. "Is this okay?"

Swallowing once, I replied, "You're perfect."

Her expression of insecurity morphed into a brilliant smile. "Then we should go. I'm afraid we're late already."

Picking up the pie and carrying it in one hand, she reached out and took my hand with her other, leading me to the door and out of our apartment.

****TtK****

"Bella, it's wonderful to finally meet you properly," my mother exclaimed excitedly as she hugged her daughter-in-law hello.

Spice looked slightly uncertain when she replied, "Thanks for having me, Mrs. Masen."

"Oh, nonsense, honey. Call me Liz. We're family, after all." Mom turned around to include my dad in the conversation. "Ed, come, say hello to Bella."

My father stepped forward and awkwardly embraced my wife, all with a welcoming smile on his face. "Hello, Bella. I think it's best if you call me Ed, otherwise things could get confusing around here." He chuckled.

She mirrored his smile once he released her, and I wrapped my arm around her hip to ease her nerves. "Hey, what am I, chopped liver?"

My mom waved dismissively as she leaned in to kiss my cheek. "Oh, baby, of course we're happy to see you, too, but we've known you for twenty-eight years. Bella's all shiny and new."

That she definitely was, and I bent over to place a quick kiss on top of her head.

Mom put away Bella's pie after fawning over it for a minute or five, then led us into the dining room where the table was already set.

As soon as we were all sitting down and my dad had poured the wine, there was no more holding back my mom "So, Bella, tell us a bit about yourself. It's not as though we got the chance to talk much at the wedding reception. Where are you from? What do you do? Will we get to meet your parents soon?"

This had to be what made meeting the parents such an awkward thing. It hadn't been a conscious decision, but so far, I'd never met someone worth bringing home. Strangely, not only did I accept my mom's invitation because that was what was expected of me, but because I actually wanted my parents to get to know my wife.

The blush heating her cheeks made me realize she was highly uncomfortable being put on the spot like that. Regardless, she started to answer the questions with confidence.

"I'm from a small town in Washington, and I came to New York to attend culinary school. I work as a chef at a small Italian restaurant."

My mom's eyes got a little wider at the mention of Bella's job. "You're a chef. That's fancy. How did you get into that line of work?" she asked with fascination.

Again, Bella's cheeks flushed a darker pink. In hopes of lessening her unease, I placed my arm on the back of her chair, lightly touching her shoulder, and was pleased to find her leaning into me as she started to explain.

"My parents got divorced when I was four. I stayed with my mom, who's somewhat … unconventional. She's highly inventive when it comes to anything and everything, but is barely able to boil water. Sue, my step-mom, taught me to cook whenever I was at my dad's, and my mom gave me plenty of opportunity to practice. As I got older, and especially after I moved in with Sue and my father, we had big cookouts and family get-togethers, which called for lots of different food, and I loved the preparation. Pursuing a career in culinary arts was the only thing I ever seriously considered."

After finishing her speech, Spice reached for her glass of wine and took a generous sip.

My father followed her lead, trying the Merlot, then actively joined the conversation. "Do your parents live around New York, too, Bella?"

She set down her glass as I started to play with the loose curls hanging around her shoulder and answered for her. "No, her dad still lives in Washington, and her mom and step-dad moved to Florida a couple years ago."

Feeling smug, I smiled at her astonished expression at the realization that I remembered what she'd told me the day after our wedding.

"That's far away. Why New York then?" my mom inquired.

Bella broke our eye contact to look at my mother. "I had a few reasons. I'm from a very small town, and I didn't like everyone knowing one another and everything that came with it. Manhattan has the best culinary institutes in the country. When I was accepted, there was no way I'd have gone anywhere else."

"But you're so far from home. Don't you feel lonely at times?" My father's genuine concern for his daughter-in-law was touching.

Bella turned her gaze to my dad and smiled. "My best friend came with me, and I lived with him up until Edward and I moved in together. I have a group of great friends I met here, as well. I'm close with all four of my parents and miss them terribly sometimes, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else." She paused for a moment until she added something, almost like an afterthought. "And I wouldn't have met your son if I'd stayed on the West Coast."

Both my parents smiled brightly at that. Satisfied with the interrogation so far, they took their leave and went into the kitchen to dish up dinner. I took our moment alone to assure Bella she was doing great and my parents already loved her.

It didn't take long for my mom and dad to carry in the roast beef, potatoes, and mixed vegetables my mom had prepared.

"To be honest, now that I know we have a professional here, I'm a bit embarrassed by the rather simple meal I cooked," my mother confessed sheepishly as she sat down.

Bella winced almost imperceptibly. "There's no need for that, Liz. One of my teachers once said being a professional chef doesn't mean we can cook better or make fancier things than others, it simply means we were trained to prepare eighty identical meals at the same time and have each of them be as good as the next one. And that's exactly what my job is. Yes, I have to create a menu every now and then, but I love when someone else prepares a meal for me." She finished her sentence with a big smile, and with that, we dove into our food.

****TtK****

Two hours later, the table was cleared of dinner and my parents knew nearly everything I did about my wife and then some. They were particularly fascinated, and at the same time, horrified to learn of the many places she'd already lived. Also, my mother couldn't hear enough about her experiences when she first came to the city and the things she learned at the culinary institute.

Now, for dessert. We were seated in the family room as my mom passed around servings of pie. Bella naturally sat down close beside me on the love seat as my parents sat across from us.

As my mom put the first fork of pie into her mouth, her eyes rolled back into her head and she moaned — she fucking _moaned_.

"Bella, honey, this is delicious." For the first time in my life, I heard my mother speak with her mouth full. "What in heaven's name is in this?" She didn't hesitate to put the next big bite into her mouth.

"That's our little secret," I inserted before Bella could start to answer.

Mom, who was just about to stuff her mouth again, stopped mid-movement and stared at us wide-eyed. " _Our_ secret? Please, Bella, don't tell me my son did something useful in the kitchen."

Instead of blushing, Spice placed her warm palm on my thigh, making my dick harden as she replied. "He actually was _very_ helpful." The way she said it had me so worked up, I had to put a big bite of pie into my mouth to keep me from doing something highly inappropriate in the presence of my parents.

"Ed, did you hear that? Maybe our son's not a complete lost cause." They smiled at each other conspiratorially and dove right back into their pie.

****TtK****

After Bella's little stunt during dessert, I was eager to leave my parents and get home to our apartment. That didn't happen without my mom coming up with a diversion to get me alone in the kitchen to tell me how perfect Bella was for me. My dad, on the other hand, just pulled me aside to let me know he had a difficult time understanding why I agreed to be on the show, but seeing Bella and me together made him change his view on everything. I was rather afraid to ask him what exactly that was supposed to mean, so I thanked him and ushered my wife out of the house and into the car.

The ride home was silent but filled with a weird tension that almost made the air around us crackle. About an hour later, we were riding up to our apartment in the elevator, both of us staring at the changing numbers. As soon as we arrived on the fifth floor, we started for our door. In a matter of seconds, Bella turned the key in the lock then rushed inside, leaving me to follow.

Turning around after closing the door behind me, I came face to face with my Spice pouncing on me like a wildcat, crushing her lips on mine. Even though I was startled for a second, I grabbed her hips, pulling her against me while I plunged my tongue into her mouth. Eagerly, she began to suck it and stroke it with her own.

Blinded by my need for her, I hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around my waist as I carried her into the bedroom. I sat down on the bed, leaving Spice straddling me when my conscience kicked in, warning me not to risk the progress we'd made over the past two days by rushing things now.

Reluctantly, I pulled away, making Bella follow to get her lips back on mine. I placed my hands on her cheeks, forcing her back enough to be able to look into her expressive, brown eyes, which were staring at me with bewilderment and disappointment.

"I'm not sure we should be doing this," I forced out between pants.

Her brow furrowed with even more confusion. "What? Why?"

"I don't know. Isn't there some rule not to put out until the third date?" I couldn't believe I was trying to talk my wife out of having sex with me.

A switch seemed to turn in Bella's head and her expression changed to one of playful determination. "Oh, that one. Well, this clearly was our third date." Her kissing down my neck didn't make it easy to think clearly.

"How can that be when I only took you out last night for the first time?" I still wasn't willing to budge — at least without giving her another chance to back out.

"Well," she started, unbuttoning my shirt, "there was our shopping date this morning."

 _Huh, who would have thought a grocery run would count as a date?_

"And you took me to dinner with your parents. That counts as even two or more. So, you see, Mr. Masen, we're clearly over the three dates." With that, she shoved the fabric of my now-open shirt off my shoulders, leaving my chest bare. "Now, are you going to take off my dress or do I have to do the honors myself?"

I was done arguing against what I desperately wanted, and instead, reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, exposing a sexy purple bra and pantie set.

I must have been staring, because I was startled to hear Bella purr. "See something you like?"

In a second, I had her thrown on the bed with me hovering over her nearly naked form. I needed her at least as much as I did on Friday; all the more now that I knew what it was like to be with her — inside her. Regardless, I had promised myself that, should she ever agree to let me that close to her again, I would relish the honor and take my time to discover, kiss, and taste everything she had to offer.

Taking in the woman beneath me, all creamy skin, soft curves, and shear purple lace, I couldn't help being in awe of the sight.

"You're beautiful," I whispered reverently.

Her slight, shy smile made my heart warm and I leaned down to touch my lips to hers, softer than I ever had. This time, our tongues met in a slow dance rather than the frantic need of our past kisses. There was just as much passion in it, but this time, it didn't feel like the world was coming to an end soon, and we had to get as much crammed into our last minutes as we could.

I took my time, kissing and licking down the white column of her neck, down her cleavage, and to the peak of freshly exposed breast. Sucking, nipping, and kissing, I made Spice writhe under me, making the most exquisite noises I'd ever heard.

When I was done teasing her nipples, I made my way farther down, placing gentle kisses on her sexy little bellybutton piercing, then I headed to what I'd wanted to get a good look at since our first day on the beach.

Hooking two fingers into the waistband of her panties, I dragged them down, revealing the part of her that I'd been dreaming about every night for the past three weeks. Running my fingers over the swirls that caressed her waist and hip, I finally reached the purple five-point star that was the center of the design — and it was magnificent. Following some inner urge, I stuck out my tongue, tracing the outlines of the precious thing.

Bella sucked in a surprised breath at the sensation that made the whole exchange appear to be that much more intimate than it looked to be on the outside.

After showing ample appreciation to the masterpiece that made my wife's body even more special than it already was, I headed to the Promised Land. I could claim some experience in the art of cunnilingus, but up until now, I'd only ever done it for some ulterior motive. Either it was in hopes of having the girl reciprocate, getting some kind of training for future use, or plain showing off. For the first time, I was not going down on a woman because I had an agenda, but for the sole purpose of pleasuring her.

As I parted her lower lips to run my tongue through her slit for the first time, I moaned almost as loudly as Spice did as the taste of her made my cock impossibly harder. Setting a steady pace of circling her clit with the tip of my tongue, one of her hands made its way into my hair, pulling me even deeper into her as her other hand started to play with one of her nipples.

 _Dammit, that was hot!_

Feeling her getting even wetter, I slowly pushed one finger into her heat, immediately adding another as I developed a rhythm of pushing in and pulling out while I flicked her clit with my tongue. Bella's moans became louder as she ground herself against my face.

There was my vixen; a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to take it. That was the sexiest thing ever.

After a few minutes of steadily increasing my pace, her movements ceased, her legs started to quiver, and her walls gripped my fingers tightly as Spice called out my name together with a string of colorful expletives.

I let her ride out her orgasm while I shed the rest of my clothes in record time, positioning myself at her entrance and pushing in before she even fully came down. Her eyes snapped open the moment she felt me sheathed deeply inside her.

"Fuck, Spice! You feel so damn good," I rasped, leaning down and capturing her lips with mine as I started to move inside her.

Her fingers wove themselves into my hair, and she anchored me to her as I fought the urge to pump in and out of her like a mad man. This was too special to be rushed or cheapened by my need to get off. I couldn't put it into words, but this was more than a fuck. I'd had sex with strangers, and I'd had sex with friends, but somehow, this experience with Bella held a level of intimacy that was unsettling.

Pushing that thought away, I tried to concentrate on the matter at hand as I steadily increased my pace, bringing us both closer to the edge with each deep thrust. Our kisses that hadn't stopped became sloppier by the minute as our hands touched and grabbed whatever part of the other they could reach. The sounds of skin hitting skin and the smacking noises that were the result of Bella's growing arousal drove me insane. I needed her to come now, or I'd be finishing the race without her.

As I was about to reach for her clit, she beat me there, starting to rub frantically in chase of her climax. But I couldn't have that. When she felt my hand batting hers away, she giggled into my mouth, and I couldn't fight the smile that crept on my face. She was perfect — for me.

Rubbing her clit in earnest, it didn't take long until she went rigid, crying out her release as I reflexively released inside her.

Our mouths found one another again as soon as we came down, but heated sucking and biting changed to loving pecks and nudges.

I was spent, though, and carefully but reluctantly rolled off Bella, afraid to put my weight on her tiny form. Without a word, we lay side by side for a long moment until Spice snuggled up to me, placing her head on my chest.

For the fraction of a second, I stiffened in surprise, then I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to me. I was completely out of my element, but for whatever reason, it felt as though everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be.

*********TtK********

 **A/N:** Was it worth the wait? I sure hope so. How about Edward trying to be sweet and taking Bella breakfast to bed? And the grocery shopping and baking? I think Edward learned a bit about his wife there. The Masens seemed to like their daughter-in-law, too. Oh, and of course, not to forget the lemon. Bella really had to work for that, lol.

Now, where do they go from here? Here's a little teaser:

… _Jake's eyes widened and he started to shake his head, his brow raised inquisitively. "Bella Swan, could it be you're falling for your hot-ass husband?" …_

Could it be? What do you think? Tell me here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_. The manip of Bella's tat is up there, too.

I'm off writing now. See you in two weeks.


	15. Chapter 15 - Getting Into The Groove

**A/N:** Hi, my friends. I'm glad you all liked last chapter and especially the lemon. Seems like E and B are finally on track.

This chapter is brought to you by **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl**. Without them, it wouldn't be worth reading.

So, let's learn a little more about what our favorite two want out of life. See you at the bottom.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Married At First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 15 – Getting Into The Groove

~Bella~

Even though it was new and foreign, being in Edward's arms, my head on his chest, felt strangely right. He'd been so sweet during dinner with his parents, not touching me much but silently assuring me of his presence and support.

The Masens were very nice and welcoming, accepting me without giving me the slightest doubt about their sincerity. On the contrary, they appeared to be quite content with my role in their son's life.

Upon our return home, I couldn't hold back any longer. The past two days with Edward had been wonderful, and if we were dating the regular way, we'd probably have had sex by that point anyway. On top of that, Friday night had shown me how perfectly we fit together in that aspect of our lives, so why deny ourselves any longer.

For once, Edward was a real gentleman; not only making sure I definitely wanted it, but even trying to make me change my mind. I wouldn't have any of that — and it was so worth it.

Cuddling was something I didn't often do, due to the lack of real intimacy in most of my relationships. Somehow, though, I felt compelled to be close to Edward now. He hadn't appeared to be the snuggling kind, either, but opened his arms willingly, pulling me close to him.

We stayed quiet for a while, breathing in each other's scent while his fingers ran up and down my arm.

Eventually, Edward's velvety voice broke the silence. "This is nice."

I hummed in response, running my finger over the Toad tat on his chest. This whole gaming thing seemed important to him, and I didn't have the slightest idea what it was all about.

"Why Toad?" I asked softly, so as not to ruin the mood.

Edward's chest vibrated with a quiet chuckle. "It was either that or Super Mario. But Mario was a bit too gay for my taste." When he noticed I didn't comment, he continued after a short pause. "I got my first tat during freshman year at NYU. It was shortly after I started seeing Lauren. She's the chick from the frat party I told you about." Sure, I remembered the story about the girl he lost his virginity to, and the jealousy I'd felt when I first heard about her, bubbled up again. "However, Emmett had found himself a friend with benefits, too, and one night, we decided to do something to celebrate our … transformation into men or some shit like that. The two nerdy boys finally found themselves girls. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, and I wanted something sexy, so I got the tribal on my arm."

Well, it definitely was sexy, albeit kind of generic.

"When I got more confident, I wanted something that was more … _me_. Gaming is such a major part of my life. It all started with the Super NES, and Toad was my favorite character. That's why I decided to get him as a tat. The power button was the most recent addition. I saw it somewhere and had to have it."

He'd only confirmed my thoughts about the significance of computer/video games in his life, which reminded me of the most important thing I needed to know.

"Tell me about your game," I whispered, keeping my eyes trained on the red mushroom design.

Edward sighed contemplatively, then began to explain. "I've known Emmett since the first day of freshman year when we shared a dorm room. Seth only joined us after we got to know each other over a project in senior year. It was as though something clicked. When we weren't going out together, we spent our time hanging out, playing all kinds of video games, and over the years, we came up with this idea for our own game." His hand stopped stroking my arm and instead, began playing with a lock of my hair. "For the past three years, every spare minute has been spent planning, writing code, doing test runs, and looking into the video game market to assess our prospects on that market as a whole."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I hate my job," he confessed dejectedly. "All I do day in and day out is fix problems people cause, who have no idea of what they're doing. To everyone, I'm only 'the IT guy' who can't do anything other than fix computers. It's boring and repetitive, but it pays the bills. Since we started programming our own game, it's been as if we all worked two jobs instead of one, but it's so worth it, too. I know what we came up with is good, if not brilliant. And I need it to be a success. If everything works out, I can quit my day job and make a living out of doing what I love." His hand stilled as he added, "I'm sure I sound stupid."

"No, you don't." I was quick to reply, then started to chew my lip, trying to get the next words out right. "I'm sorry I made light of your passion. I thought you were just blowing me off every time you didn't come home, but I kind of get it now." It still stung, but I had a better understanding of what it was that had kept him away.

"You were legitimately pissed. I should have let you know I'd be late. I'm sorry I didn't. But when we work, we're in the zone or something, and as bad as this sounds, I'm not used to someone waiting for me. I promise, I'll try to do better, but I'm afraid I'll eventually mess up again."

We were quiet after that listening to the faint noises from the street downstairs, while our hands stroked lazily. I was close to dozing off when Edward spoke once more.

"I told you about my dream, now I think it's only fair if you tell me yours." His voice was still soft, almost reverent.

Even though I'd never so much as put it into words, I thought it was fairly obvious what my goal in life was, at least professionally.

"One day, I want to have my own restaurant. It doesn't need to be big or fancy. I simply want to serve good food at a reasonable price."

I was surprised to find Edward genuinely interested. "How do you picture your restaurant?"

Closing my eyes, I could see it clearly. "It's not too large, around twenty tables, I think. Classic Italian style with small windows and romantic lighting. During summer time, there will be tables outside, with parasols and lanterns for warm lighting. The menu is not very long but changes from day to day. And I want a high quality selection of wines to go along with the food."

Edward huffed with amusement. "I don't know about the food and wines, but the rest sounds almost exactly like the place you work at now."

In fact, _Volturi's_ was very close to how I pictured my own restaurant. Deep inside, I was hoping that, despite his advanced age, Marcus would continue to run it until I had the chance to save up enough money to take over and buy him out once he decided to retire.

"I love _Volturi's_ , and I love Marcus, but I'd like to have a little more creative freedom that comes with being my own boss — and maybe more comfortable work hours."

"And you'd want to keep cooking Italian?" my husband further inquired.

Despite the fact I'd primarily learned to cook French at culinary school, Italian turned out to be my passion. "The first restaurant I worked at only served French Haute Cuisine. France has great dishes, but that's all too pretentious for my taste. Then I worked at a hip fusion place for two years when I met Marcus at a local exhibition. Up until then, I hadn't cooked much Italian, aside from lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs — which isn't even really Italian — but he had faith in me. And it turned out I'm not only good at cooking Italian, but I love it." I ended my declaration with a big yawn. Apparently, meeting the in-laws and our romp afterward had worn me out.

With a low chuckle, Edward pulled me closer to kiss my forehead. "I guess it's bedtime, Mrs. Masen."

Smiling to myself, I turned away to lay on my side as Edward reached over to turn off the light. A few seconds later, the breath caught in my throat in surprise as my husband's warm body molded itself to my back. His arm came around my waist and his hand rested on my stomach.

"Sweet dreams, Spice," he whispered directly into my ear, sending a pleasant shudder down my spine as I drifted off to a restful sleep.

****TtK****

The next morning, I woke to Edward's alarm, even though he hurried to silence it.

"Sorry, Spice." He kissed the side of my head lightly. "Go back to sleep. I'll wake you when the shower's free."

With that, he climbed out of bed, and although I was still comfortable under the covers, Edward's spot behind me was rapidly cooling down. I unsuccessfully tried to fall back to sleep for a couple minutes until I accepted my night was over.

Shuffling my way into the kitchen after throwing on some yoga pants and a tank top, I decided to do what I did best: cook. I cracked some eggs and after adding flour and several other ingredients, whipped them into a fluffy batter. With the amount of calories we'd burned last night, we could surely use the carbs to regain some energy.

I was in the middle of the second batch, busy adding some blueberries, when strong arms snaked around my waist and warm lips kissed my neck.

"Hmmm, pancakes," Edward murmured, pulling me back against his chest.

Carefully, I turned around, gave him a peck on the lips, then thrust the spatula into his hand and disentangled myself from him.

"Yep, and now you can finish cooking them while I take a quick shower."

With that, I was out of the room, leaving a stunned-looking Edward behind.

****TtK****

Barely ten minutes later, I returned to find Edward at the dining table, two places set and a tower of pancakes in the middle of the table. Only on second look did I spot Garrett and his team to my left, setting up their equipment.

"Morning, guys," I greeted as I made my way over and took a seat beside my husband.

Casting a testing gaze at our breakfast, I was pleased to find Edward's batches of pancakes considerably darker than mine but not yet burned.

"You know you're lucky there's anything to eat at all, right?" Edward asked with a teasingly raised eyebrow.

I patted his hand mockingly before loading my plate. "Oh, honey, I knew you could do it."

And it was good, especially with the brand of maple syrup I'd bought for the apple pie. My husband seemed to agree as he stuffed his face with generous forkfuls of pancake.

For once, we didn't need prompting from Garrett to keep a conversation going. We chatted easily about dinner with his parents, told each other about our workday, and even made some loose plans for the rest of the week.

Eventually, we finished eating and started clearing the table, working together companionably, when something occurred to me.

"If I remember correctly, Mondays, you always work on your game, right?" I asked while loading the dishwasher.

Edward frowned a little. "Yeah, Monday's the only set day. Everything else, we plan on short notice."

"Okay, I just wanted to know. So you probably won't be here when I get home tonight." I was surprised at the twinge of disappointment I felt realizing I wouldn't be seeing Edward tonight.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he replied in a similarly sad tone, "Probably not."

We were quiet for a minute or two, me washing the dishes and Edward drying them. Then his head suddenly shot up.

"When do you get off work tonight?"

I quickly calculated in my head. With Monday nights normally being slow and Tyler doing the preps for tomorrow, I should get to leave early.

"Around nine, I guess." I looked at my husband expectantly, waiting for him to share his flash of inspiration.

He smiled at me crookedly. "Well, would you mind coming over to Emmett's to pick me up? That way we could kill two birds with one stone: you'd get to properly meet the guys, and I'd have a reason to leave early — well, sort of, anyway."

I pondered the suggestion for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of going home over meeting his friends, and decided it would be a good idea. Maybe I'd even get treated to a glance at the mysterious video game that was ruling my husband's life.

"Sure. Text me the address, and I'll be there."

****TtK****

As expected, it turned out to be a quiet day at _Volturi's_. I used the spare time it gave me to plan next week's menu and place orders for the groceries to be delivered on time. In the early afternoon, while most of my coworkers took short breaks during the slow time between lunch and dinner, Marcus entertained me with stories and pictures of the renovations currently going on in his family's vacation home in Tuscany.

Since I'd started working for him two years ago, he and his wife spent more and more time in Italy, leaving me in charge for weeks on end. While I missed Marcus and had to put in more hours, I still enjoyed the times where I could practically feel like my own boss.

I had mixed feelings once it was finally nine. I'd met Edward's friends at our wedding, and from the few sentences we'd exchanged, they were nice enough. But they were such a significant part of his life —maybe even more important to him than his parents — that I was scared they maybe wouldn't like me.

Taking a quick shower, I dressed in my street clothes and said goodbye to my kitchen staff. When I left the restaurant, I hailed a cab and told the driver to take me to the address Edward had texted me earlier.

Ten minutes later, I stood in front of a four-story building, gathering courage to walk into the lion's den. However, I'd promised Edward to come by, so I walked in and took the stairs to the third floor. Bracing myself, I knocked on the door and was relieved when it was Edward opening it instead of one of his friends.

"Hey, Spice. I'm glad you're here." He leaned down and placed a chaste but lingering kiss on my lips.

It ended too soon for my taste, and I couldn't suppress a slight pout. "Hi," I greeted him nervously, and before I could say anything else, a loud voice from what I supposed was the living room interrupted me.

"Hey Ed, stop getting it on in the hall and let your wife come in."

Edward shook his head and took my hand to lead me into the apartment. The living room I followed him in to was what I assumed to be every game nerd's dream. There were several gaming consoles below a giant flat screen TV, showing a colorful game sequence. Along one wall was a row of shelves where board upon board was loaded with what looked like video game boxes with Blu-rays mixed in between.

Placed under the window was a wide desk that had two desktop computers on it facing each other, and a third one was on the small dining table. That last computer was occupied with who I remembered to be Seth. A big, burly guy who had to be Emmett got up from the sofa that looked a bit worse for wear to pull me into a bear hug.

"Hi, Bella," Emmett cheered as he drew me to him. "Welcome to my bachelor pad."

Seth, who, so far, hadn't glanced up from his screen, snorted. "Don't let Rose hear that, or she'll put another sex embargo on you, Em."

"Naw," Emmett replied, waving him off, "Rosie likes my skills way too much to cut herself off. And Seth, there's a lady here. Say hello like the good little boy your momma raised you to be."

Seth smiled at me genuinely, then waved hello. "Hey, Bella. Don't listen to the idiot. His mouth is a lot bigger than his brain."

I took the seat Emmett offered me on the couch while Edward went off to the kitchen to come back with two bottles of beer, placing one in my hand.

Swallowing a generous sip, I glanced around once again then concentrated on Edward and Emmett, as Seth was apparently "back in the zone."

"So, now that I'm where the magic happens, will I be granted a peek at the infamous game?" I tried to come across as nonchalant as possible, while in fact I was dying from curiosity.

Emmett guffawed loudly while Edward smiled at me excitedly. "Which version? Wii, PS4, X box, or computer?"

At hearing his words, I was close to spitting my beer all over the table. They had four versions? I didn't know much about computers, but I was acutely aware it must take loads of time and work to make a game run on all those different devices.

"Um, I don't know. PS4?" I had no idea what that was, so it came out more like a question than an answer.

Edward got up, pushed some buttons on the consoles around the TV, inserted a disc into a black box, and came back over, handing me some sort of controller. He pressed a few of the keys and the TV came to life, displaying a colorful, cartoon-like image.

"This is Woody," Edward explained, as a little guy closely resembling a garden gnome appeared on the screen, waving at us. "Woody lives in this garden colony and has to find the golden shovel. On his quest to do that, he needs to solve some riddles, fight hungry possums, kids who want to steal him, find secret passage ways and tunnels—where more problems arise, and protect the crops against all kinds of evils."

He proceeded to explain which buttons to hit to make Woody run, jump, kick, or whatever, but I was completely fascinated by the picture on the screen. It was so cute, almost looked like a children's animated movie, and at the same time, reminded me of the computer games of my childhood. Even though I didn't manage to get Woody to do what I wanted for even a second, I could see how much potential this project had and was extremely proud of my husband.

After about ten minutes, Edward gave up, and instead, explained the differences between the games on the different consoles. I didn't understand a word he was saying, but I was captivated by his enthusiasm and confidence when speaking about his passion. I couldn't put it into words but felt even more attracted to him than I usually did.

Emmett had chimed in here and there, trying to dumb things down a bit, claiming Rosalie, his girlfriend, wouldn't understand if he talked Nerd to her like Edward currently did to me. Eventually, Seth left his spot on the dining table and joined us on the couch.

For several minutes, the guys jumped into a heated discussion about what to do with the rest of the evening, and eventually decided to play a round of Wii tennis.

Since I had no idea what I was doing, Edward gladly teamed up with me in a mixed doubles as we played against Emmett and Seth. Needless to say, we lost by a mile. I knew he was competitive by nature and didn't handle defeat well, but he never complained about my lack of skill. Regardless, we had a great time and I had the opportunity to get to know his best friends.

It was already well past midnight when we arrived home. Sadly, my eyes had started drooping on the cab ride, so I was barely able to stay upright to remove the bit of makeup I'd been wearing, brush my teeth, and change into some kind of sleepwear.

Returning to the bedroom, I slid into bed next to Edward who, for once, was only wearing a pair of boxers and nothing else. Not sure what the protocol was for sharing a bed with one's husband of three weeks, whom you only started having sex with four days ago, but more or less hated before that, I just lay down, facing him in the dark.

It took all of five seconds for him to reach over, pull me into him so I could rest my head on his chest.

"Good night, Spice," he murmured into my hair with a soft kiss, as I drifted off to much-needed sleep.

****TtK****

The following days were rather uneventful. In the mornings, we did our camera time with Garrett. Then Edward went to work. I started my shifts at _Volturi's_ around noon, and when I got home, my husband, who was always waiting for me, greeted me with a warm smile. We spent the evenings together on the couch, watching movies, talking, making out, and even cuddling. It felt as though we were gradually getting into the groove of being married and sharing our everyday lives.

Since I'd mostly stayed away from my friends for the past four weeks, due to a full schedule and spending time with my new husband, Jake demanded I had to go out to breakfast with him on Thursday when he started late at the gym.

I hadn't even had a chance to inform him of the latest developments in my marriage prior to our meeting, so he almost choked on his omelet when I told him we'd finally sealed the deal.

"Dammit, girl, can't you give a guy some warning before dropping a bomb like that?" he complained between coughs.

I couldn't hide the smug smile. Not only had it been months since I'd last gotten some, but sex with Edward was a completely different ball game than anything I'd ever experienced. Sure, my husband knew exactly what he was doing, but there was something else, something deeper that made it all the more exciting.

Catching his breath, Jake's expression softened when he took in the look on my face. "That good, huh?"

"The best." He was my closest friend and we'd never minced matters or shied away from difficult topics, so I didn't feel the need to hold back on him now. "It was … mind-blowing!"

"Did you at least make him work for it?" With the way Edward had treated me during our first weeks together, Jake wasn't his biggest fan and was naturally concerned for me.

Still embarrassed by the way I'd acted out at the club, I recounted what led to the fateful night that was the catalyst for us starting to get along. I continued to tell him about the date, the cooking lessons, and everything else that happened over the weekend and up until today.

"So, he's not always an ass?" Jake asked, after letting my words sink in.

"No, he can actually be very sweet and cute. I really like that side of him." For whatever reason, I felt a blush color my cheeks.

Jake's eyes widened and he started to shake his head, his brow raised mockingly. "Bella Swan, could it be you're falling for your hot-ass husband?"

Now it was me gasping in shock. Jake couldn't be right, right? I'd only known Edward for a couple weeks, and most of that time, he'd acted as though he had a right to treat me like a cheap chick in a bar. I couldn't deny I felt incredibly attracted to the man he'd been showing me recently, who I was certain was his real self. But falling … in love? There was so much I didn't know about him and needed to learn.

I decided to play it down and work through that mess later by myself.

"I admit I have a crush on him. Everything else, we'll have to wait and see."

Nodding at me, Jake finished the rest of his omelet. "I don't want you to get hurt."

When I didn't reply, silence ensued until Jake piped up with an idea. "Hey, Mike just learned yesterday that he got promoted. He's been working his sweet ass off lately to get picked for that. How about I put together a little party for tomorrow night. You can bring Mister Sexy and introduce him properly to the girls, Mikey, and me. Then we'll see if he can convince us he's being good to you."

I knew Jake was protective of me, and he'd probably be harder on Edward than he needed to be, but he was my best friend. I wanted my husband and the person who knew me best in the world to get along. Otherwise, our marriage wouldn't be able to last. A party as a setting for them getting to know each other was probably the easiest option, so I agreed to come by after work and bring Edward.

We continued to chat about this and that until it was time for me to get to work. When we said goodbye, Jake told me he was looking forward to our get-together tomorrow and I agreed, parting with a hug.

I only hoped my friends would like Edward, because, in my heart of hearts, I knew I was already too attached to give him up if they found fault with him.

As I walked to the subway station, I received a text.

 _ **Work sucks! I miss you. Can't wait to see you tonight. X ~E**_

Grinning like a loon, I skipped down the stairs.

 _Nope, definitely not giving him up!_

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Bella might not be ready to see it for herself, but the person who knows her best does. Now we have to hope Edward feels the same.

How did you like their little pillow talk? Now Bella finally understands the game's not just … game to Edward, lol. And Bella told him what she wants for her future. Do you think the two are compatible?

What do you think the party will bring? Just so you know, I'm breaking up the pattern because next chapter will also be in Bella's point of view. Here's a little sneak peek:

… " _Shit!" I muttered. "We shouldn't be doing this here."_

" _Oh, we should so be doing this here." …_

Where are they? And what shouldn't they be doing? Let me know what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

See you in two weeks :).


	16. Chapter 16 - Would You Rather

**A/N:** Hi my lovely readers. Thank you so much for reading, and to the ones who review, you have no idea how important it is for us writers to know what you like and dislike about what our overactive imaginations come up with, lol.

However, I think most of you are eager to find out what inappropriate thing Edward and Bella were doing in which inappropriate place. Before I can let you find out, I have to tell you this story would be nothing without the wonderful support of three ladies. **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** , and **LaPumuckl** , thank you all so much for your time and patience in shortening my lengthy sentences and counting my overused words, lol. You're the best. Thank you as well for **Nolebucgrl** for rec'ing this story in her latest update for her story _Show, Don't Tell_. It brought me a lot of new readers. If you aren't reading the story yet, you should start now.

Now, on to the party. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married at First Sight …

******TtK*******

Chapter 16 – Would You Rather

~Bella~

Edward didn't jump for joy when I told him about Jake's party for Mike, but he did agree to go with me. He even offered to pick me up once my shift was over, which was sadly after the restaurant closed that Friday. Since Jake had lived with me for the past seven years, he was used to my crazy hours and didn't mind my being late for almost everything.

It was around half past ten when I texted Edward to let him know we were wrapping things up and I'd be ready to leave after taking a shower.

Refreshed and dressed in a flowing skirt and form-fitting top, I said good night to my coworkers, letting them out and locking the doors behind me. It only took a few minutes until there was a knock, and Edward's smiling face glanced through the glass panels in the door.

"Hi, Spice," he greeted me with a soft kiss as I let him in.

"Hey, Cocky." I pulled back, smirking at him. "I have to turn off the lights in the kitchen, then we can leave."

Edward grabbed my hand, drawing me back to him. "Will you give me a quick tour? I've never looked behind the scenes of a restaurant."

His request seemed a bit odd, but I didn't mind showing him around a little until we headed over to Jake and Mike's.

"Sure, come on," I replied, then towed him toward the stairs in the back. "This is our wine cellar. Marcus is kind of like a pack rat when it comes to wines. There are twenty different grape varieties, fifty vineyards, and at least thirty vintages down here."

Edward's eyes were wide as he took in my boss's impressive collection. Most of the wines were to satisfy his need to collect. Only occasionally did one of our few wine connoisseur guests purchase one.

When my husband was duly impressed, I led him back upstairs and toward my realm. "This is where I spend most of my time." I was so caught up in explaining the workings of my world that I was surprised when I felt a tug on my hand.

Confused, I turned to him, only to receive his lips on mine and his tongue in my mouth. It took me a second of stunned paralysis before I caught on and kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull myself closer to him.

Edward's mouth was demanding and hungry as it devoured mine, so much so that my heart raced and my knees went weak. I hadn't been aware we were moving until the back of my thighs hit the top of a counter. Instantly, Edward's hands were on my hips, lifting me up and setting me down on top as he stepped between my parted legs. His palms then were on my knees, gliding up my thighs and under my skirt, pulling my pantie-covered center into his erection.

"Oh," I moaned out in surprise.

I had no idea what had brought on this sudden attack, but I was too far gone already to object. My gasp had made me pull back, and in reaction, Edward's mouth latched on to my neck as his hands pushed up my top and palmed my breasts above my bra.

Edward kissed and licked his way down my cleavage and pulled down the cup of my lace bra to bare one nipple, then the other, immediately sucking one into his mouth.

Throwing back my head, I choked out a throaty, "Fuck!"

I felt Edward's warm breath tease the wet, naked skin as he chuckled. "You like this, huh?" He started lavishing my other nipple with the same attention, and his hands slid under my skirt again, slipping two fingers into my panties to run them up and down my wet sex.

"Shit!" I muttered. "We shouldn't be doing this here."

"Oh, we should so be doing this here," he countered in a sultry voice, dragging my underwear down my legs. Then I heard his belt buckle clink and his zipper pull down. "I want to have you right here where you'll be reminded of this — of me — each and every day." With that, he thrust himself inside me, taking my breath away with the force of his attack and the lust in his black, hooded eyes.

"Then have me." I groaned, clutching his neck and crossing my feet behind his back to pull him closer to me.

He drove himself into me fast and determined, holding me up with one hand while tweaking one of my nipples with the other.

Dammit! That felt so good — forbidden, dirty, and intimate, all at the same time. The way he drove himself into me wasn't the least bit tender, yet it was special sharing this moment — a secret fantasy of mine — with my husband. I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else.

All too soon and yet not soon enough, Edward let go of my boob and his now free hand started rubbing my clit frantically.

"Baby, I need you to come for me. This is so fucking good. You're so tight this way that I can't hold off much longer." His last words were followed by a low grunt, and I was done for.

"Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! I'm coming!" I cried out as extreme pleasure ripped through me, making me shudder and scream.

Edward joined me immediately, moaning loudly with his head buried in the crook of my neck, breathing hot air across my damp skin. After a couple more pumps, he twitched inside me, then stopped, pulling me to him in a warm embrace.

We took some time to catch our breath, but as soon as Edward's panting subsided, he placed a tender kiss on my lips.

"Thanks, Spice. I missed you today." His crooked smile was too cute.

I giggled breathlessly. "If this is what comes of you missing me, I should definitely work more."

That earned me a pout, then a bite to my earlobe. "Evil woman!"

We held each other for a moment longer, before I realized we had to part and clean up, so we wouldn't make even more of a mess than we already had. Reluctantly, Edward pulled out when I carefully pushed against his chest.

I promptly tucked myself back into my bra and righted my skirt, then slipped into the employees' bathroom to clean up, giving Edward the chance to do the same.

When he returned to the kitchen, I was just pulling my panties back on.

"Dammit! I should have put them in my pocket so you'd have to go without them," Edward teased with a wink, then placed a soft kiss on my lips. "You ready to go? I'm sure your friends have already gotten their knives out for the interrogation."

I swatted his chest playfully. "They're not that bad. Come on, Romeo. Let's go."

Grabbing his hand in mine, I made him follow me out of the restaurant.

****TtK****

We reached my former home fifteen minutes later. An amused Edward stepped out of the cab, still laughing at the text I'd sent to the cleaning lady to pay special attention to _our_ counter when she cleaned the kitchen the next morning.

My husband tried to hide his nervousness as we made our way to the door of the apartment I'd lived in for seven years. The manner in which he squared his shoulders and held my hand a little tighter than usual, as I knocked on the door, gave him away, though.

I squeezed his hand in reassurance when the door opened and a grinning Mike greeted us warmly.

"Hey, Bells. I've missed you, girl." He hugged me hello.

Patting his back with one hand, while Edward still clutched the other, I felt a sense of coming home.

"Congratulations on the promotion, Mike. I'm glad those uptight bigoted jerks finally realized what you're worth."

As he let go of me, he sized up my husband with appreciation. "Hi, Edward. I don't know if you remember, but I'm Mike. I'm glad you could make it."

Even though Mike was a hugger, he contented himself with shaking Edward's hand in a manly grip. Despite all prejudices about gay men being rather feminine, Mike, as well as Jake, always emanated a certain air of testosterone. No one would ever dare to call either of them girly.

Edward's smile was as friendly as possible considering his discomfort with the situation, and he also congratulated Mike on his career improvement.

As we made our way into the living room, I spotted Tanya in conversation with Angela and Ben. Jess was seated on the couch next to a guy I'd never seen, but reading their body language, he was her newest flame. I also noticed a coworker of Jake's along with some of his and Mike's gay friends who were laughing and joking around. It was great to see everyone having a good time.

Jake swiftly joined his boyfriend when he came out of the kitchen, spotting us as Mike put our jackets into the closet by the door.

"Bells!" Jacob pulled me to his chest, not letting go of me for a long moment. "It's so weird to have you here as a guest. It still feels like you live here."

Even though I missed my best friend every day, he was right. It was weird to be a guest here. However, I didn't feel as though this was my home anymore. My home was the little apartment I shared with Edward now.

Regardless, it felt good to be in Jake's arms — until I heard a throat clear not so subtly next to us. Jake let go of me reluctantly and shifted his attention to the man who, in a clear gesture of possessiveness, was snaking his arm around my waist and moving me close to him.

"Edward," Jake greeted with much less enthusiasm. "Good to see you. Why don't you come in and meet everyone?"

My husband nodded at Jake in greeting as well as agreement, so we walked over to join Tan, Ange, and Ben.

"Hi, guys," I said, then gave each of them a quick hug. "I don't know if you remember my husband. Edward, this is Tanya, Angela, and Ben."

"Oh Bells, how could I ever forget that hunk of a man?" Tanya purred as she sort of molested his outstretched hand.

If I hadn't known my friend any better, I'd have said she was openly hitting on him. As it was, she was simply Tanya being friendly — and maybe testing his reaction while she was at it.

I had to hand it to Edward that he almost cringed away rather than falling for the blatant advances of the former lingerie model, which made Tan wink at me conspiratorially.

Ange's and Ben's greeting was much more appropriate. They both shook Edward's hand, telling him how much they'd been looking forward to meeting him.

Before we had a chance to get into a conversation, Jess and her date joined our group.

"Hey, Bella. Have you met Steve? He's a painter and currently showing his works at the gallery." Considering how many of her boyfriends she met at her place of employment, she should have to pay a fee for matchmaking services. "Steve, this is Bella and her new husband, Edward. They're currently participating in a reality TV show."

Steve greeted us politely, but perfectly fulfilling the stereotype of the snobby artist, he had a difficult time hiding his distaste at our TV gig. While we paid him no heed, Tanya rolled her eyes at his arrogance and steered the conversation to my husband.

"So, I hear you're some kind of computer genius or something."

Edward took a sip of the beer Mike had handed him in passing then replied, "I'm not a genius. I have a degree in computer science and work in the IT department of Roth & Sons."

Angela was the next to pipe up. "But Bella told us something about a game you're programming."

Instead of appearing smug and proud, Edward rubbed the back of his neck and seemed to be quite embarrassed. "Yeah. My friends and I have developed a game we'll be launching soon."

"How exciting," Tanya stated, smiling with humor. "Worker bee by day, Bill Gates by night."

Edward was clearly uncomfortable with the topic, but soon lost his reservations when Angela and Ben engaged him in a discussion about the legal aspects of publishing a computer game.

Since my husband was otherwise engaged and van Gogh, also known as Steve, had gone to the bathroom — or to harass someone else with his derogatory comments — Tan and Jess jumped right into the intimate questioning.

"From the way you look, I can tell that you've gotten laid," Tanya started with a proud gleam in her eyes. "That's so exciting. Is he any good or were all his pick-up lines only a load of hot air?"

We'd shared sex stories in the past, and I'd never minded, but somehow, I had a tough time divulging anything about Edward's and my sex life now. So, instead of bragging about my husband's mad skills, I gave them a non-committal, "I have no reason to complain."

"Come on, Bella," Jess whined. "Give us some details."

"Yeah, Bella," Tanya joined in, imitating Jessica's tone. "Throw a girl a bone here." She grinned wickedly. "Is he well-endowed?"

I knew they wouldn't let it go if I didn't at least share a few private things with them. "Clearly above average."

"Hot damn, you're a lucky bitch." Tanya toasted me with her beer bottle before taking a sip.

I mirrored the gesture, swallowing down a big gulp myself. After a moment, Tanya abandoned her line of questioning and turned serious. "So, things are finally going well?"

I was much more forthcoming with that kind of information. "They are. He's considerate and sweet, and a bit shy when he drops the cocky act." Somehow, even though I knew I was digging myself a hole I wouldn't easily get out of, I couldn't stop talking. "He even brought me breakfast in bed Sunday morning."

Jess awwwed while Tanya smirked triumphantly. "Fuck! Bella, you're blushing. You like him, like _like-like_ him."

This felt too much like kindergarten again, and I was afraid Edward would hear us, but I needed to tell her she was wrong. "I don't."

"You do, too," she insisted, then she started to sing, "Bella and Edward, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

At that, all three of us started to giggle, earning us several inquisitive stares from the other people in the room, but we didn't care. After we calmed down, though, Tanya sobered up.

"Seriously, Bells, I'm happy for you. You deserve to have your dreams come true. Just make sure he continues to treat you like a queen."

We couldn't get any more sentimental because Edward seemed to have ended his talk with Ange and Ben, and the three of them rejoined our circle. Angela started up a conversation with Tanya about her newest celebrity client, and Edward noticed my bottle was empty. With a kiss to my forehead and a whisper into my ear, he left me to get us new drinks.

Right then, van Gogh was back and began a pretentious monologue about how narrow-minded and ignorant some people — apparently most of the people present tonight — could be when it came to fine arts. Naturally, he considered himself God's gift to art-refined people, and it was obvious he had a hard time even being in the same room with such simpletons as Jake, Mike, and the rest of us.

I had no idea how Jess tolerated his condescending, arrogant ass. He wasn't hideous but he definitely wasn't in the same league as my husband when it came to looks. However, she could do so much better. But knowing my friend, this relationship wouldn't even last into next month.

Beginning to wonder what was holding up Edward, and tired of pretending to listen to Steve ramble about the advantages of some sort of paintbrush over another, I excused myself in search of my husband.

Scanning the room, I couldn't find him anywhere. The apartment wasn't big enough to get lost in, so I knew he had to be in either the bathroom or the kitchen. Since he'd left with the intention of getting us new drinks, I decided to check the kitchen first. Unsurprisingly, that was exactly where I found him — talking to Jake.

I immediately noticed my best friend's intimidating stance and Edward's discomfort, so I didn't hesitate breaking up their little party of two.

"There you are, Edward." I strode over to him, wrapping my arm around his waist, and leaning into him. "I was wondering what was taking you so long."

Jake smirked evilly. "I was having a _friendly_ chat with your husband here. Wanted him to know he'll have to answer to me if he so much as looks at you the wrong way."

"Jake," I chided, "I'm a big girl. I can fight my own battles."

"He knows that," Edward was quick to reply. "He's worried for you. But I was just telling him there's no need for that, right?"

I wasn't sure if that was truly how the conversation had gone, even less so when I saw the disgruntled way Jake glared at Edward. He couldn't help but agree, though.

Before I could try to figure out what was going on, Mike strode into the kitchen. "So this is where the real party is happening. Sugar, the guys are about to leave and they want to say goodbye to you, too." He switched his attention from Jake to us. "Do you mind if I steal my boyfriend for a moment?"

We both waved him off, stating we were only getting ourselves a new round of drinks then we'd rejoin them.

"Are you okay?" I asked Edward, a little concerned after Jake's obvious interrogation.

His crooked smile instantly eased my worries. "He's your best friend, baby. I'd be disappointed if he wasn't looking out for you." Then he leaned down, placing a lingering kiss on my lips. "Come on, Spice, let's go back to your friends."

As we reentered the living room, new beer bottles in hand, the party had clearly thinned out. The guys from the community had left, and van Gogh was helping Jess into her jacket. At least the guy had some manners, if nothing else.

When Jess saw me, she indicated she needed only one more minute as she came over to us, hugging me goodbye.

"I'm sorry," she apologized unnecessarily. "I really wanted to stay a bit longer, but Steve has a migraine, and he needs to be up early tomorrow. I'll call you next week, I promise."

She let go of me, and while she pulled Edward into a hug, too, I told her it was okay and she shouldn't worry.

A couple minutes later, the only people left, apart from the hosts, were Angela and Ben, Tanya, a coworker of Jake's whose name was Tom, Edward, and me. As though following an unspoken command, everyone but Mike gathered around the coffee table. It was a tight fit, but we managed.

"At least I'm not the odd girl out," Tanya stated, winking at Tom, who smirked at her as though they'd been flirting all night.

Mike joined us after a moment, placing a tray with a bottle of Patron and eight shot glasses on the table. "This is my party, and I want to play a game."

Everyone who knew him was aware of his fondness of drinking games and could foresee a thing or two about the results. Regardless, he always got us to play with him whenever he asked.

"What's it going to be this time?" Tanya wanted to know. "If we play _Never Have I Ever_ one more time, there won't be any secrets left, and I'll have to kill you all."

She was right; we definitely knew enough if not too much about each other as it was.

"I know a game," Ben piped up. "It's called _Would You Rather_. I ask a question like 'Would you rather not brush your teeth or not take a shower for a week?' All players have to make their choice out loud. Everyone who voted for the minority has to drink. Then it's Angie's turn to ask a question, and so on."

Heads around the table nodded as Mike poured everyone a drink.

"I'll go first," Jake decided. "Would you rather kiss Donald Trump or not have sex for a year?"

The first thing heard around the table were heartfelt "ew"s. Then Mike, Angela, and I decided we'd prefer celibacy, while the rest of the group would sooner make out with our hopefully-not next president to be able to get some.

Even though I wasn't sure they'd actually go through with their decision, if worse came to worst, I didn't make a fuss and knocked back my shot alongside Mike and Ange.

When I'd gotten over the burn in my throat, it was Mike's turn to ask a question. "Would you rather have sex once every six months or eight times a day?"

And like with every other game we'd ever played, we'd reached the gutter in record time.

Like the guys they were, Edward, Jake, and Tom along with Tanya were quick to vote for eight a day, while it took the rest of us a bit longer to state we would rather content ourselves with once every six months, and still be able to walk comfortably. Since it was a draw, Ben, who appeared to be in charge of the rules, decided all of us had to drink.

Next up, Tanya took the topic to a whole new level. "Would you rather watch another couple having sex or be watched?"

"Hell, be watched, of course," Tom piped up, earning himself a cheer from Tanya.

Everyone else needed to contemplate for a minute before Angela, Ben, Mike, and Jake opted for watching while, surprisingly, my husband and I both confessed we'd rather be watched. The thought alone had me swimming in my panties.

Since it was another draw, we all had to empty our glasses once more.

The more alcohol we consumed, the more inhibitions went out the window and the raunchier the questions got. After about an hour, we'd learned that most of us were into some kinky shit, but only Mike, Angela, and I wouldn't mind being dominated. Also, everyone other than Edward and Tom would prefer never to watch porn again as opposed to never be able to watch anything else ever again.

We laughed a lot, drank even more, and when it was finally time to go home, Tanya and Tom were quick to make their exit, not even trying to hide what they were going to do with the rest of their night. Somehow, Angela and Ben seemed relatively sober compared to the rest of us, so they called a cab and made their way home.

It was the force of habit, but even though I felt drunk and beat, we stayed a bit longer so we could help Jake and Mike clean up — after all, this had been my home until a few weeks ago. However, when we were done, I couldn't keep myself from yawning constantly.

"Bells, you're tired. You know, you'll always have a bed here. Why don't you and Edward stay and turn in." Jake smiled at me sincerely.

I turned to look at my husband in silent question. When Jake noticed his indecision, he added, "We'll lend you some clothes, and there are always new toothbrushes in the bathroom. It will almost be like old times."

Edward flashed me his crooked grin, answering, "If you'd like, we'll stay."

"Yay!" Mike cheered from the doorway to their bedroom. "See you in the morning, then. Sweet dreams!"

After we all wished each other a good night, I led Edward into my former bedroom where, unsurprisingly, nothing had changed. Without much ado, we both stripped down to our underwear, and I threw on Edward's discarded T-shirt, then snuggled up to him in my old bed, where I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** First off, I didn't want to offend anyone with the comment about Donald Trump, but that's Bella's political opinion. Now, how did you like the quickie in the kitchen? And what about the party and the game? Bella's friends weren't too hard on Edward, were they?

No, let's see what's going on next time. Here's a little teaser:

… _Remembering our baking lessons, her smile when she saw my breakfast of burned toast, or how happy she was when I agreed to stay the night at Mike and Jake's, the scales fell from my eyes, and that was when I knew it. …_

What does he know? And why's he thinking about all that? Tell me what you think, here or on Facebook in my group Payton79's Fanfiction.

See you in two weeks.


	17. Chapter 17 - Changing My Course

**A/N:** Hi there! I'm go glad you all like last chapter's kitchen quickie, even though some of you were a bit squicked by the circumstances. Two readers even said they'd doubts about what's going on in the kitchen of their favorite restaurant, lol. I'm sure, a real-life chef wouldn't let that happen ;).

As always, I had help getting this chapter ready for you. **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl** , I couldn't do this without you — or at least no one would want to read it ;). I also want to thank you, **MC** , for rec'ing this story over at The Lemonade Stand! You're such a great friend and supporter.

Now, I know I gave you a mean teaser last week. Here are some answers. Enjoy. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Twilight_ or _Married At First Sight_ …

******TtK******

Chapter 17 – Changing My Course

~Edward~

Saturday morning, I woke up with a bit of a headache. Luckily, last night's drinking game hadn't gone badly enough to cause any real hangover.

To be honest, the party was fun — well, apart from Jacob's interrogation. Bella's friends were all very nice and welcoming, and the game was … interesting, for lack of a better word. Everyone shared tidbits, mostly of a sexual nature, and I learned a few things about my wife I wouldn't have guessed.

Bella was still asleep beside me, and although I'd have loved to stay and watch her for a while longer, I needed the bathroom. I disentangled myself from her, and I was about to venture out in my boxer briefs when I remembered I was in the home of a gay couple and didn't want to give them more of a show than necessary. So, I threw on my jeans, but remembered Spice was sleeping in my T-shirt. Cursing under my breath, I left the room bare-chested and padded barefoot toward the bathroom.

When I came back out, I smelled the unmistakable aroma of coffee wafting over from the kitchen. Even though I wasn't too keen on having another heart-to-heart with Jacob or even Mike, I couldn't fight the urge to get a dose of caffeine. As I entered the kitchen, I found Bella's best friend leaning against the counter, coffee mug in hand, dressed in sweatpants and a black wifebeater.

I wasn't normally one to ogle other men, but I had to give it to him: that guy was ripped. Now, I knew I was not bad to look at myself, but Jacob? From the way his defined abs and pecs strained against the black fabric, I could tell he could rival every male underwear model I'd ever seen.

Dragging my eyes from his chest, I found him looking at me with unveiled amusement.

"Morning, Edward. Jealous? From what I can see, there's no need." This time it was him checking out my bare torso, making me feel uncomfortable and naked.

"Don't think I'm complaining, but don't you own a shirt?" He took a sip from his coffee, reveling in my unease.

As he turned to set down his mug, I caught a glimpse of a tattoo he had on his left upper arm. It was a design of lines, dots and stars, and in the center of it was a big, colorful star. But not just any star. It was the exact same purple star that was the center of my Spice's hip tat.

Jealousy surged through me as though my blood was on fire. Why did that openly gay guy and my wife have the same fucking tat? Was I missing something? Maybe he hadn't been gay all along. Maybe they had a past apart from being best friends. They wouldn't be the first friends to throw in some benefits here and there.

In my rage, I suddenly remembered he'd asked me something, and I let my possessiveness show in my gloating reply.

"Bella's sleeping in it. You know, if she doesn't fall asleep naked after I've worn her out, she loves sleeping in my clothes." I knew it was petty, and I immediately felt I shouldn't have told him, but it needed to get it out — and apparently, it shut him up, as least for a moment.

His eyes shot daggers at me, and he clenched his teeth. "You're aware I should deck you for that comment, right?"

Inwardly, I agreed. I shouldn't talk about my wife like that, not even, or especially not, to her best friend. Instead of answering him, though, I stayed quiet and waited for him to say more.

After a sigh, he continued. "Bella seems really happy lately. Sadly, I think that has something to do with you." I couldn't help smiling. "I can only hope you're as serious about her as she is about you."

"She's special, Jacob. And I'm more serious than I've ever been." Even though I'd never said it in so many words, I meant it.

We were in somewhat of a stare-down when I heard light footsteps, and shortly after, felt slender arms wrap around my waist from behind.

"Morning, baby," Bella's sleepy voice whispered as she kissed the bare skin on my back. "What a fine sight you are."

I reached back and pulled her around and into my side, kissing the top of her head. "Someone stole my shirt."

Then I noticed she was still wearing it — and nothing else. Possessive motherfucker that I was, I looked over at Jacob, relieved to find him watching the interaction between Spice and me instead of drooling over her long, shapely legs.

"Hey, Bells. How was sleeping in your old bed again?" Jake addressed her, making her remember he was there.

"Morning, Jake. It was familiar but weird, too. And I didn't like waking up alone."

At that, she smiled at me sheepishly.

We didn't say much more after Spice suggested cooking breakfast. Jacob and I worked in a rather comfortable silence when we set the table for four; though I hadn't seen Mike this morning. Without me having to ask about it, Jake explained, "Mike's sort of a late riser. He usually only wakes up when he smells breakfast on its way to the table."

And just like that, a sleepy Mike, sporting a severe case of bed head, stepped out of their bedroom, yawning.

"Morning, sugar." Jacob greeted him with a kiss on his way into the kitchen to help Bella serve breakfast.

With a plop, Mike sat down at the table, looking as though he wasn't completely awake yet. Only when Spice, Jake, and I set food and drinks on the table did he notice what was going on around him.

"Dammit, Bells! I haven't had French toast in weeks. Can you move back in, please? I'll do your laundry for a month or so," he pleaded, loading his plate with a little bit of everything.

Sitting down next to me, Bella leaned into me, giggling at his request, and before I got the chance to stake my claim on her, she spoke for herself. "Sorry, Mikey. The offer is tempting, but I'm perfectly happy where I am."

Her words made my heart swell in a strange way, and since I had no idea how to respond, I bent over, placing a lingering kiss against her temple.

****TtK****

The rest of the day passed without drama. Breakfast was pleasant and went over well. After that, we returned home to take showers and change. In the afternoon, we went grocery shopping together, Garrett and his cameras watched us do laundry and order take-out, and once they were gone, we had Chinese for dinner and each other for dessert. To sum it up, it was a perfect day.

When Spice was safely tucked up against me, her warm skin touching mine, the thought that had been nagging me since the morning returned full force. Even though I knew I was probably about to open up a can of worms, I had to know.

"So, I saw Jacob's tattoo this morning." I let the statement hang to wait and see what she made of it.

Her hand was lazily drawing circles on my chest. "It looks great on his arm, doesn't it? At first, he wasn't sure he should do it, but Mike's totally crazy about it."

 _Awesome. She thinks he's hot, but didn't actually give anything away._

"I didn't get the chance to take a closer look, but isn't it the same star you have in your tat?" I asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"It is," she replied, as though it was nothing out of the ordinary. "We got it together the day I started culinary school. It's to symbolize our freedom after our escape from small-town America."

I knew it wasn't unheard of for friends to get the same tattoo, but still, I needed to know if that was all there was to it. "Isn't getting matching tats something couples usually do?"

Spice's exaggerated snort showed me I'd been worrying for no reason. "Even though Jake looks all manly and full of testosterone, I can assure you, he's as gay as they come. He tried kissing me once, simply to make sure he wasn't the least bit interested in women, and he isn't. That's the extent of his experiences with women. But he's my best friend and the person who knows me best in this world. We're each other's closest family. That's why we did it."

We were quiet for a while, and I was beginning to think I had dodged a bullet when Bella quietly spoke again. "There's something I've been wondering since our wedding night. You know, you appeared all confident and cocky, as though you've never met a woman you couldn't get to go to bed with you."

I didn't say anything, merely held my breath, waiting for the actual question to come. It took her a minute or two, but eventually she whispered, "How many women have you been with?"

Taking a deep breath, I told her the truth. "Not as many as you may think. I'm not a saint. I've had sex, and not too rarely, but there were twelve women until I met you."

Once more, I was met with silence. Apparently, Bella needed to work something out in her head. After a long pause, she seemed to have made up her mind.

"How can you have had so much sex while only having been with twelve women when you've never had a serious relationship?"

"To be honest, I've had a few one-night stands, but mostly, I've had casual relationships, or maybe rather friends with benefits that lasted a while." I wasn't going to lie to her. There wasn't even much I'd have to lie about. I wasn't going to tell her about Vicky, though. Not yet, anyway. However, I felt the need to assure her this thing between us was different, even if I wasn't sure yet what exactly that meant. "I've never been serious about anyone until now."

I wanted to say more, but since I didn't have a clue what was going on with me or us, I couldn't put it into words.

Bella kept quiet, and if her fingers weren't constantly moving around, I'd have been sure she'd fallen asleep.

"What are you thinking?" I asked softly when I couldn't stand her silence any longer.

She still hesitated to reply, so I was sure she indeed did have something on her mind. In what I hoped felt like encouragement, I nudged her forehead with my nose.

"I'm much less experienced," she whispered, her hand not stilling for a second.

She was worried because she'd had sex with less than twelve men? Dammit! I had no idea that could even be considered a problem.

"How much less?" I inquired carefully, trying not to give her the wrong idea.

"I've been with five men before we got married. Two one-night stands and three relationships." She kept her gaze trained on my chest, not meeting my eyes.

 _Five men!_ I hadn't even given much thought to what she'd done before we met. When she told me about her first real relationship, I felt the sudden urge to hunt down the guy and punch his lights out, but five men was way below average for a woman her age in New York. What I didn't get, though, was that she considered it a problem.

In a sudden urge to have her look at me, I rolled her onto her back and hovered over her, my nose not even an inch from hers.

"I hope I'll never meet any of those five men, because, believe me, you'd end up bailing me out of jail for knocking out every guy who has been with _my_ wife. So, I think we can be glad there weren't more." To give my words more meaning, I captured her lips in a fiery kiss, claiming her mouth as though I wanted to erase the memory of every other man prior to me.

When I pulled back to catch my breath, Spice was smiling at me blissfully with her eyes closed, and in that moment, I sensed something flutter in my stomach and my chest felt strangely warm. Having no point of reference at all, I wasn't sure what was going on. If I was honest with myself, though, I knew it could only mean one thing, but I wasn't ready to admit it — to her, or to me.

Afraid Spice would be able to notice my inner turmoil, I rolled onto my back and pulled her into my side so she didn't get a chance to look in my eyes.

A short while later, she yawned, and I kissed her goodnight, holding her as close as I dared without hurting her.

****TtK****

"Man, sounds like that game was a lot of fun!" Emmett burst out laughing when I told him about the party during our regular Sunday workout.

Spice and I had slept in that morning, completed our camera time over breakfast, and lounged on the couch until she had to leave for work. Prior to my wedding, Em and I used to go to the gym Sunday mornings, but since things with Bella and me had started to look up, we'd agreed to reschedule our workouts to times when she was at the restaurant. So far, it had worked out well.

I put down the weights I'd been lifting and wiped my face with my towel. "Yeah, they were all pretty nice. If it weren't for Jacob, I would have had a helluva time."

"What did the guy do? Didn't you tell me he's gay? Don't tell me he hit on you." Emmett bellowed out a laugh.

"He didn't," I replied with irritation. "He reminded me of his promise to kill me if I hurt Bella."

Em picked up the weights I'd put down and started to lift them. "About that, what are you planning on doing in two weeks?"

"What do you mean?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Dude, in two weeks, you'll have to decide if you want to stay married or get a divorce."

 _Oh, that._

"I won't divorce her," I stated firmly.

Emmett halted his movements to look at me with astonishment. "Well, I had a feeling you might change your mind, but how come?"

I shrugged. "I like her. She's cute and funny. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and I can't imagine letting her go."

"Dammit, man. I never thought it would ever happen, but it sounds like Edward Masen fell in love." Emmett chuckled, but his eyes were sparkling with joy.

"Em, I'm not sure. As I said, I like her, but isn't it a bit early for more than that?" I couldn't tell him about the epiphany I'd had the previous night.

"Oh, Ed, you're so clueless. When it's right, it's right, you know?"

Shaking my head in denial, I replied, "No, I don't know. And that's the thing. How do I know something like that?"

Emmett didn't hesitate. "Do you think about her and ask yourself what she's doing more than three times a day?"

"Sure," I replied equally fast. _What kind of a stupid question was that?_

"Does she do silly shit that would usually annoy you to no end, but for whatever weird reason you think it's 'adorable' or some other girly expression?" he continued his interrogation.

I thought back to our first date and how I didn't mind her dancing around after every strike, grinning stupidly despite the fact her beating me crushed my manly confidence.

"Yeah," I admitted more carefully this time.

"Do you do things you normally hate, just because you know it's going to make her happy?" Emmett demanded in a slightly annoyed tone.

Remembering our baking lessons, her smile when she saw my breakfast of burned toast, or how happy she was when I agreed to stay the night at Mike and Jake's, the scales fell from my eyes, and that was when I knew it.

My throat went dry, and I could only nod at Em's last question.

His face morphed into a triumphant smirk as he told me without much ado, "See, you're not only hopelessly in love with your wife, you're a pussy-whipped motherfucker like the rest of us."

I let his words sink in, seeing the absolute truth in them. I was completely and utterly in love with Isabella Swan — um, Masen. For the first time in my life, I pictured living in a house somewhere in the suburbs, driving a minivan, going to little league games; in one word, the whole shebang. When I was asked during my casting interviews where I saw myself in five years, that was exactly what I told Carlisle, while working hard to suppress the disgusted shudder at the mere idea of people living like that. Now, four months later, my whole life had made a 180 degree turn and I couldn't see any other future for me.

When I returned from my fantasy, remembering I was at the gym, my eyes focused in on Emmett, staring at me intently.

"Now that we got that out of the way, will you tell her the truth about how you came to join the show and what went on between you and Vicky before you got married?" His expression was serious, and I knew his concern was sincere.

"No," I choked out.

I wasn't naive enough to think my dark secrets wouldn't eventually come out. Sure, I could talk to Vic, and I knew, if I asked her never to speak to a soul about our last night together, she wouldn't. The fact she'd been my friend with benefits alone wasn't all too bad if we left out that last part. I wasn't convinced, though, that Em and Seth would manage to take everything concerning our best to the grave and never ever slip up. They were my best friends, and I trusted them to _want_ to keep my secrets, but the rest of our lives was a hell of a long time, and alcohol tended to loosen their tongues. However, I had no idea how to come clean without making Spice believe I wasn't one hundred percent in now.

Emmett looked at me incredulously. "Don't you think she'll find out eventually?"

"I'm afraid she will. I know I'll have to tell her, but not until this whole TV shit-show is over and done with. I can't have her think I'm only staying with her past the show because of some bet. And I don't want that revelation to make her doubt if she wants to stay married to me."

Apart from that, there was the minor detail that, if anyone from the network got wind of my initially dishonest intentions, I'd have to pay a fee and we wouldn't get the money we needed. That was only a small thought in the deepest recesses of my mind. If I had to choose between Bella and the money, I'd say fuck the money. There were millions of bucks out there, but only one Spice.

Emmett was done with his workout and picked up his towel, then sat down next to me. "Man, I get that, but I'm not sure it's the right decision. You see, I want you two to come to my birthday party Friday after next, and Vic will be there."

I'd already thought about that. "I'll talk to her, either before or when we get there. We're just friends. It's not as if she'll throw a jealous fit or something. I only have to make it through the next two weeks. After that, when the cameras are out of our lives and everything's returned to normal, I'll tell her."

"Man, I hope things work out," Em stated, placing his hand on my shoulder in a gesture of support.

****TtK****

After my talk with Emmett, I felt relieved, finally realizing I was in love with my wife. That knowledge gave me the chance to see things differently and act on the impulses that had felt strange to me up until now.

His concerns about the things I was keeping from my wife weren't dismissed easily, either, but I reminded myself constantly that I was planning to tell her as soon as possible. In the meantime, I would make an effort to show her exactly how much she meant to me without having to actually say the words. It wasn't that I doubted the existence or even the depth of my feelings for her; it was that I'd never told anyone except my parents I loved them, and even that had been a few years.

As I sat in the empty living room, waiting for Spice to return home from work, I searched the internet for the perfect way to do something thoughtful for my wife. While I surfed the web googling presents, gestures, and stuff she might like, I suddenly remembered our game of 'Truth or Dare' and her reply to the question about the perfect date. And there I had it.

An hour later, I'd found the perfect time and place, made a plan to talk to Bella's boss so he'd let her off early next Saturday, and organized everything to make our date as special as possible.

Now, I could only hope she'd see my gesture for what it was: my way of showing her I loved her and I was doing my best to make her fall in love with me, as well.

********TtK*********

 **A/N:** Most of you expected Edward to realize something along those lines. But, yay, he's in love! Now, how did you like the conversation with Jake? What about the pillow talk? They finally had one of the important talks. And Emmett, isn't he just the cutest?

Next chapter, it's Bella's turn again. Here's a little peek into her head:

… _Edward unscrewed the Barolo, then poured two plastic wine glasses and handed me one. "What do we drink to?" he asked, holding out his glass to clink to mine._

" _To the perfect date," I replied with a rapt smile. …_

Who remembers what the perfect date was? And who's perfect date is it, Bella's or Edward's? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

See you in two weeks.


	18. Chapter 18 - Perfect Date

**A/N:** Hi, my friends. I'm glad you're back after Edward's realization. You all seemed to like it, even though the number of readers letting me know what they think is sadly dwindling. However, I'm sure you're eager to find out how Bella's doing.

This chapter wouldn't be what it is without the fantastic help of **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl**. They make sure my plot makes sense, you get commas where they're needed, and I don't bore you with too many repetitions. There's no better team out there than those three.

One more thing, I had a manip of Jake's tattoo that goes along with last chapter. Sadly, I forgot to upload it to the Facebook group and therefore, forgot to tell you about it. If you're still interested, I posted it a few days ago.

Okay, now you're free to enjoy some wooing. See you at the bottom with an important announcement.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Twilight_ or _Married At First Sight_...

******TtK******

Chapter 18 – Perfect Date

~Bella~

The week following Mike's party was hectic at work. The weather was consistently nice and warm; therefore, along with the usual tables in the dining room, _Volturi's_ tables outside also were packed each day and night. On top of that, Renata, Marcus's wife, who'd been suffering from rheumatism and a lung condition for years, had taken a turn for the worse, and Marcus had to spend more time at home taking care of her.

I was stressed out every night when I locked the doors of the restaurant behind me. As soon as I set foot into our apartment, though, I found Edward waiting for me — sometimes with a glass of wine and soft music, other times with a bottle of beer and a movie, and once he'd even set up everything for a relaxing massage. All worries fell from me, and I knew I finally had someone in my life who would take care of me, and with whom I could share my thoughts, hopes, and even fears.

Before I knew it, the next weekend had approached, and after the week I'd had, I couldn't wait for my Saturday shift to end and my day off to begin. The night was particularly busy with special take-out orders in addition to the dishes that had to go out to our guests at the restaurant. We didn't officially do any sort of catering out of the house, but for special patrons, we prepared foods to be picked up every now and then.

Around nine, when the dinner service was still in full swing, Marcus, who'd surprisingly come in tonight, strolled into the kitchen and waved me over to him.

" _Isabella, cara_ , go, take a shower. You're off early tonight." I looked at him incredulously as he smiled at me with grandfatherly affection. "You've worked so much this past week. Go; spend some time _con tu amore. Presto!_ "

Shaking my head, I walked off into the bathroom and did as he said. After changing into the jeans and blouse I'd come in with, I said goodnight to my kitchen staff and walked out into the taproom. There, at the bar, sat a big surprise waiting for me.

As if he could sense my gaze on him, he turned his head and the sparkling, green eyes of my husband met my astonished ones, as he broke out into a brilliant smile. I swiftly walked over into his awaiting arms to be greeted with a passionate kiss.

"Hey," I whispered, slightly out of breath. "What are you doing here?"

His answering smirk was blinding. "I'm here to pick you up. We have a date." Winking at me, he leaned in for another quick peck on my lips.

"But tonight's busy, and we need every hand in the kitchen," I protested, but was cut off by Marcus, who'd apparently listened in on our conversation.

" _Nonsenso!_ You two go out and have fun. The restaurant will still be here on Monday. Now, _avanti, avanti_ or you'll be late."

Again, he smiled his warm smile and shooed us off after handing Edward a big picnic basket.

Outside _Volturi's_ , we took a taxi to _Stuyvesant Square_ where Edward gave the driver a generous tip and took my hand to lead me onto the big lawn where dozens of couples and groups were already scattered around.

My husband walked us over to a sheltered spot under a tree where he produced a big blanket from the basket and laid it out on the grass, right next to the trunk. As my eyes traveled around, taking in what was going on, I noticed a big screen set up on one end of the green, and several huge speakers strategically placed around the lawn.

When my gaze returned to Edward, I found him looking at me expectantly.

"What's going on here?" I asked in awe, realizing he'd planned all this without me getting wind of it.

"We're going to watch a movie," he replied, as though it was more than obvious. "You like _Notting Hill_ , right?" His stance was confident, but his face showed a touch of insecurity. "I know it's not _Gone with the Wind_ , but they weren't showing that any—"

I cut off his nervous rambling by reaching up, taking his face in my hands, and crushing my mouth to his for memorizing so many details about the perfect date I'd told him during our "therapy sessions."

When I pulled away, he groaned at the loss of contact. "What was that for?"

"For remembering. And yes, I _do_ like _Notting Hill_ , like almost every Julia Roberts movie."

Placing a last peck on his lips, I sat down on the blanket and patted the spot beside me, inviting Edward to sit down, as well.

The opening credits began to roll as my husband opened up his magic basket and started to extract several containers of take-out from _Volturi's_. As he lifted the lids, I immediately recognized our vast selection of antipasti.

"Did you order that without telling me?" I asked in astonishment.

With a sheepish grin, Edward kept his gaze on what he was doing. "Yes and no. I went to speak to Marcus earlier this week and asked him to let you off early tonight. When I told him what I had planned, he immediately offered to cater for us."

With that, he pulled a rather expensive bottle of 2007 Barolo out of the basket. "I told him I'd be fine with a simple Lambrusco, but he insisted on giving us this one. And when I wanted to pay, he refused to take my money."

That was typical Marcus; always taking care of the people who were important to him.

Edward unscrewed the Barolo, poured two plastic wine glasses, and handed me one. "What do we drink to?" he asked, holding out his glass to clink to mine.

"To the perfect date," I replied with a rapt smile.

Edward's answering grin was breathtaking. "To the perfect date."

We clinked, drank, and started to devour the delicacies Marcus had provided, while watching Julia Roberts flirting her way into Hugh Grant's life. Even though Edward had never seen the cute but predictable rom-com — unlike most guys, he seemed interested in what was going on, on the screen — we mostly focused on the food and enjoying our time spent alone.

After we'd finished our dessert of panna cotta and cannoli, we settled into a comfortable position with Edward sitting up against the trunk of the tree and me between his legs, my back to his chest and his arms around me. The blanket he'd brought along was draped over our legs, both to keep us warm plus to hide wandering hands from prying eyes.

It was dark, and no one was paying attention to what we were doing, but instead of turning each other on or getting off, the touches we shared were tender strokes and soft caresses, paired with sensual kisses to necks and shoulders.

All of it felt perfect and right, and I wanted to know if Edward felt the same. However, the right words wouldn't come to me. Therefore, as I watched Hugh Grant pine after the elusive movie actress, I whispered the first question that came to my mind.

"Would you miss me if I were gone?"

In a flash, I found myself on my back with Edward hovering over me, his emerald eyes smoldering into mine.

"I miss you every time you're gone for even a few hours. I can't wait for you to come home to me each night, and I hate to leave you every morning." His gaze was locked with mine, a flicker of insecurity hidden within the fire. "What about you? Would you miss me?"

All I could say was, "I can't imagine you not being around." Then I lifted my head from the ground and captured his lips in a searing kiss, tongues tangling and hips rubbing against each other.

We broke apart, panting but smiling, then we resumed watching the screen.

A short while later, when the movie was over, we picked up our things and put them back in the basket. As soon as we were all packed up, Edward caught my hand in his and steered me toward the street, where we took the first available cab home, cuddling and kissing in the backseat until the driver practically kicked us out in front of our building.

If the elevator had taken any longer, we'd certainly have been partly undressed by the time we reached our floor. Our kisses and touches weren't rushed or frantic, though. Instead, every joining of our lips and tongues was reverent, tender, and meaningful.

We kissed our way into the bedroom, merely lighting one of the bedside lamps to bathe the room in a romantic, discreet glow. As Edward's lips kissed and licked from my ear down my throat to the base of my neck, I tugged his shirt out of his jeans and lifted it over his head. For a minute, I couldn't help ogling his chiseled chest, reveling in the fact he was mine.

Smiling at me, Edward drew me close again, capturing my mouth in a passionate kiss. Hands felt around my waist until he caught the hem of my blouse and pulled it off me. His eyes darkened at the sight of my sheer purple bra, and in that moment, I felt like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Hands roamed and lips kissed, and somehow, the rest of our clothes were shed. As Edward sat down on the bed and scooted back, I followed, straddling his thighs while I wrapped my arms around his neck to bring our bare chests flush together. My fingers wove themselves into the soft hair at the back of Edward's neck, as his throbbing erection lay against my wet center.

Our gazes locked, and we leaned into another fiery kiss as I lifted up and slowly impaled myself on Edward's cock, making us moan into the other's mouth. Taking him inside me this way, his arms holding me close and our lips locked, it felt as though we were really and truly one.

After an endless moment of just savoring our connection, I started to move, lifting myself up, then pushing down, rolling my hips to create more friction. Edward's hands were cupping my ass. His strong arms helped me move up and down, pulling me against him as closely as he could. His mouth alternated between kissing my lips then licking and sucking along my neck.

The only noises in the room were our accelerating breaths, moans of pleasure, and the sound of skin slapping against skin. Each time I raised my hips, I slammed them down harder, feeling Edward deeper within me. The way we held each other close felt like the most intimate embrace possible.

Unlike the other times we'd had sex, this wasn't just about fun and gratification. Every time our eyes locked, there was something in Edward's dark greens I couldn't quite decipher.

As time wore on, my movements became faster, Edward meeting me thrust for thrust as our breathing turned into loud pants. Our skin was covered in a sheen of sweat, our eyes glazed with lust as well as deep emotion. When I felt my insides coil and white hot pleasure rip through me from head to toe, Edward grabbed my hips and moved me up and down as I lost the capability to do it myself while riding out my orgasm.

Seconds later, he joined me, latching onto my mouth while groaning loudly as he spilled deep inside me. Our sloppy kiss broke when we both had to catch our breath. It took me a minute to calm down enough to open my eyes, and as they locked onto Edward's shining orbs, something inside me fell into place; something that had been nagging me but didn't quite make sense suddenly became as clear as a sunny day.

I was in love with the man holding me in his arms. The cocky, arrogant, gorgeous man I'd married without knowing him had gradually and subtly won my heart.

Now I knew what had made tonight different from the other times we'd been intimate. For the first time in my life, I'd made love.

I almost choked on those realizations, my eyes welling up with the raw emotions coursing through my heart and mind. I knew without the shadow of a doubt that everything I felt was real; that Jake and Tanya had been right weeks ago. However, I wasn't ready to tell Edward. It was all new and confusing. So, instead of making a verbal declaration, I crushed my lips to his, conveying all my feelings with my mouth and tongue I wasn't yet able to put into words.

Our kiss lasted until Edward eventually slipped out of me, bringing a nasty gush with him. We both laughed at the mess, and the intensity of the moment was broken. He quickly kissed my lips one last time, then helped me clean up.

We brushed our teeth side by side — a first for us that felt comfortably domestic — then slid back into bed, my head on Edward's chest while his arms held me close to him.

"Thank you for the best date ever," I told him sincerely, as we were about to close our eyes to sleep.

I felt Edward kiss the top of my head. "Everything for you, my Spice."

After that, I drifted off to sleep in the arms of the man I loved.

****TtK****

With camera time the next morning and the rest of Sunday spent in bed, getting in a couple more rounds of good lovin', there wasn't much time for deep thoughts and making up my mind about the right moment for telling Edward how I felt.

The rare moments I had to ponder yesterday's awareness, I contemplated just blurting it out, then wondered if he'd return my feelings. For the last few weeks, it had seemed as though we were on the same page, but did that mean he'd fallen in love with me, too? And if he had, was he ready to admit it?

I wasn't willing to tell him I loved him and have him stare at me in shock. I also had to take into consideration that, a week from now, we'd have to make a decision about staying married or getting a divorce. To me, there was no question: I wanted to stay married to Edward, and I was quite sure he wanted that, too. Would telling him the truth about my feelings change that if he felt pressured? Or, would he feel obligated to stay married because I loved him, even if he wanted out? I didn't think that would actually happen, but I couldn't know for sure.

Before falling asleep, I made up my mind to show Edward that I loved him in any way I could, but I wouldn't say the words until we'd told the camera and the experts we wanted to continue our marriage.

****TtK****

The week after our perfect weekend was as busy as the previous one. Marcus spent less time at his restaurant with every passing day as his wife needed his help and attention more with her worsening health issues.

 _Volturi's_ was like a well-oiled machine, and we didn't need Marcus around for things to go smoothly. However, with him absent, I had to take over most of his work, which meant I had to put in more hours and saw Edward less.

He was very understanding about it all, using the time preparing for their game to launch in a couple weeks. Despite his own busy schedule, he made it a point to be home when I arrived at night, spending what little time we had together, barely stopping to touch, kiss, or make love. Despite our hectic professional lives, things were almost perfect.

Friday was my day off that week, and I was glad because it meant we'd be able to go to Emmett's party before midnight.

The day started as usual with Edward and me having breakfast with the cameras around, working hard to keep our hands to ourselves while we were under surveillance. Luckily, we only had two more days of interviews and camera scrutiny ahead of us. Even though we'd never discussed the decision day, I wasn't worried about the outcome. Instead, I was looking forward to finally starting our life together in private.

About three hours after Edward had left for work, my phone rang. I expected it to be my mom since everyone else I knew was usually at work this time of day, so I was surprised to see Marcus's home number on my display.

Curious but also with a bit of trepidation, I accepted the call, greeting him with a warm, "Hello."

" _Isabella, cara,_ " he started immediately. "Would you be able to meet me at the restaurant this afternoon? I need to discuss something with you."

Confused, I agreed to meet him after the lunch hour rush so _Volturi's_ would be less busy with patrons.

****TtK****

Later that afternoon, I walked into the restaurant, waving hello to the servers and the bartender as I made my way to my boss's small office in the back.

"Oh, there you are, _Isabella_. Thank you for coming in." Marcus motioned toward the chair in front of his small, cluttered desk.

I took the offered seat, waiting to find out what this was about while the suspense was killing me.

"I asked you to come so I could talk with you about something. You know how _mia Renata_ had a new attack of rheumatism lately — and her lung problems are progressively getting worse, as well. We always planned to retire eventually to _Italia_. Now, with her condition worsening, we decided it had to happen soon. You know, the climate and air there could make her feel a lot better than the smog here in the city."

I knew all that, but hearing him say he was about to retire soon made a knot form in gut, and I dreaded to hear what he was about to tell me.

Marcus's expression was resigned but nervous as he continued to tell me what he thought I needed to know.

"A few days ago, I got an offer I have to seriously consider. Felix Mansini, the son of an old acquaintance, approached me and wants to buy _Volturi's_. He wants to make this the new _in_ spot in this part of town."

At that, my stomach dropped, and I had a difficult time swallowing.

"What he's offering is a generous amount, and Renata and I would be set for life and able to leave the country in a short while, because he wants things to be handled quickly." He made a longer pause, gauging my reaction. "But … I'd very much prefer to sell the restaurant to you."

I felt my eyes widen with shock. Although I'd secretly hoped to take over from him one day, I had no idea he had considered that possibility, as well.

"I don't expect you to hold Felix's offer. I'd sell to you for a lower but still decent sum to help Renata and I spend our twilight years without worries. The catch is, I need an answer by the end of next week, because that's when Felix's offer runs out."

I gulped nervously, then asked what I needed to know to be able to make any plans. "How much money are we talking about?"

Marcus seemed uncomfortable, but answered unperturbed. "Felix is offering me half a million dollars." He paused when he heard me gasp, then looked at me reassuringly. "I don't expect you to pay that much, _cara_. I'd hand everything over to you for three hundred thousand. I've saved enough to last us a couple years. The money from the restaurant will be needed to get the house ready, though."

That was still a lot of money, but I'd worked at _Volturi's_ long enough to know it was worth the half million and that three hundred thousand was a bargain offer he wouldn't extend to just anyone. That didn't change the fact I didn't have that kind of money — not even close. I had about ten thousand in savings, but even with the $50,000 I'd get as compensation for the show, I was still more than two hundred and forty thousand short of the stipulated price.

When I was over the initial shock, I locked eyes with Marcus and thanked him sincerely. "This really means a lot to me, that you'd give me this opportunity, and I'd love to call this restaurant my own. I'll do whatever I can to come up with the money somehow, but I'm not sure I'll be able to."

He smiled at me sadly. "I know it's a lot, but I hope you'll find a way to fund it." He was quiet for a minute, then he added, "There's one more thing. Unlike me, Felix is a chef himself, and he already told me he'd want to run the kitchen personally. That means he won't need a head chef."

Marcus didn't need to say more, because I knew what he was trying to tell me. It was either sink or swim. Either I'd find a way to be my own boss, or I'd be out of a job faster than I could imagine.

"I'm sorry to drop this on you now that you're busy with the TV show and other things, but my Renata is getting worse by the day. I can't hesitate long to move her where she could feel better."

His expression was compassionate, and I knew he wasn't doing this to inconvenience me. I told him as much and thanked him for granting me right of first refusal.

Subdued and deep in thought, I made my way home to get ready for Emmett's birthday party, hoping Edward would return from work early. After all, we had a lot to discuss.

****TtK****

Unfortunately, Edward had to work late for the first time since we got married. Apparently, a nasty computer virus, let in by a careless employee who'd opened an attachment to a piece of junk mail, had run rampant in the whole building, and my husband had to clean up the mess.

He arrived home just in time for us to make it to Emmett's party without being late. So, instead of delaying us any more, I decided to postpone the serious talk about our future until later and ban the worries about my job to the back of my mind. We were going to party with Edward's friends, and I owed it to him to do my best to have fun.

The problems could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, I was going to make some new friends.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Wasn't that sweet? Now Bella knows she's in love with Edward as well. If only she knew he feels the same.

What do you think about Marcus's offer? Will Bella be able to come up with the money? Or will she lose her job?

I know you're all nervous about the party. Here's a little peek into what's going to happen:

… " _Dammit, how did you know? I guess our gig is up." Swallowing my disgust, I placed my hand on his knee and leaned closer. "Please, don't tell anyone. I really need that money, too." …_

What's that now? Who's POV is it and who's the recipient of those words? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

 **Well, there's something important I have to tell you. Two weeks ago, I made the decision to change my outline for the rest of the story and take the plot in a completely different direction from what I'd planned. Now, I think you'll all like this new course much better, but the downside is, it's going to take some time to write. For now, I'll be able to keep up my schedule, meaning chapter 19 will post in two weeks, but I can't promise to be able to keep it up after that. I'll have to decide on a schedule from chapter to chapter and will let you know as soon as I do.**

For now, see you in two weeks.


	19. Chapter 19 - False Pretenses

**A/N:** Hey there! I'm glad you're back to read what I'm sure you all know is an important — maybe even the most important — chapter of this story. Yes, this is the one where the shit hits the fan, but bear with me. Everything's going to be fine in the end.

Now, with this one, I needed a lot more help than with every chapter before it, since I changed course right in the middle of it and wasn't sure I was doing it right. I can't say enough thanks to my team: **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** , and **LaPumuckl**. You ladies are the reason I even dare to post this. Thank you so much!

Okay, now it's time for the party. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Twilight_ or _Married At First Sight_ …

******TtK******

Chapter 19 – False Pretenses

~Edward~

 _Fuck!_ Friday was Bella's day off, and I was sitting here, cleaning some dumbass's computer from a stupid virus said dumbass invited into our system. The thing was hidden in an attachment to a porn junk email, and the idiot opened it despite all the warnings in the company manual.

We were lucky it was a simple code, but the nasty thing had already spread through half the computers of the company. Thankfully, I wasn't the only "IT guy" in the building, and I was almost done with the last infected device in my allotted department. When the computer had booted normally, and the antivirus software couldn't find another problem, I shut it down and looked at my watch.

 _Dammit!_ It was half past seven already, and instead of spending some quality time with my wife as planned, we'd have to leave for Emmett's party as soon I got home.

On the subway, I thought back to a conversation I'd had with Emmett this past Tuesday.

" _You still sure you don't want to tell Bella the truth?" Emmett asked, then took a sip of his beer. Even though I agreed there was a risk of someone spilling the beans unexpectedly, there were merely three people — four if I counted Rosalie, who was always in Emmett's corner — who knew all the incriminating details. Em and Seth had been sworn to secrecy, and I wasn't even sure Vicky would be coming to Em's party._

" _What if someone slips up?" His expression showed genuine concern._

" _They won't. You and Seth wouldn't give anything away. Rose won't either because she'd put your success at risk. That only leaves Vic, and I'll talk to her — if she's even coming." I swallowed down a mouthful of beer to steady myself._

" _She's comi_ _ng all right. S_ _he called Rose a few days ago to tell her she was bringing a guy."_

 _Victoria had been Rosalie's roommate in college, and we met when she tagged along to a group outing about four years ago. We got along famously on a completely platonic level. Then one night, a year later, when_ _we were both sexually frustrated, we started our fuck-buddy relationship. We_ _had an unspoken agreement that whenever either of us was seeing someone, our benefits were off the table. Vicky couldn't know yet that my fake marriage had turned into a real one. Knowing she was bringing someone herself, though, meant she wouldn't even make a suggestive comment._

" _Great. I'll talk to her to set her straight when we get there and things should b_ _e fine."_

 _Emmett still wasn't convinced. However, he didn't argue further._

For the hundredth time in the past two weeks, I contemplated telling Bella what made me sign up for the show — and I knew I'd have to eventually clue her in. I still hoped we could get to a point where we were both sure about the other's feelings; therefore, she'd believe me when I told her I might have gotten into it for the wrong reasons, but stayed in it for the right ones.

Sadly, I knew we weren't at that point yet. So telling her before Sunday meant risking her dumping me because she didn't understand, and I needed her to stay married to me. I needed her by my side as I needed air to breathe.

When I arrived home, Bella was ready and waiting for me on the sofa. I couldn't hold back the big smile that appeared on my face at the sight of her.

"Hi, Spice," I greeted her, then pulled her close and brought my lips down on hers.

She responded eagerly, yet something felt off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but somehow her mind seemed preoccupied.

I ended the kiss to look into her eyes and had my suspicion confirmed.

"What's wrong, baby?" I asked, taking her hands in mine. "You seem distracted."

Bella waved me off. "It's just work. Doesn't matter now. Let's talk about it later." She smiled at me, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Go change so we can go to Emmett's party."

Rising to her tiptoes, she placed a kiss against my jaw and shooed me off to the bedroom.

****TtK****

Half an hour later, we reached my old apartment. Seth opened the door, hugging Bella hello and giving me a guy handshake.

"You're here. Come on in, grab a drink. Em's in the kitchen."

With that, we made our way inside to congratulate the birthday boy.

"Hey, Em. Happy birthday!" I slapped him on the back, then handed over the six-pack of exotic beer I'd gotten him for a present.

"Thanks, Ed. Dammit, some new bottles to add to my collection." After setting down the cardboard box, he turned to address my wife. "Bella, I'm so glad you came. What can I get you to drink?"

She looked a little baffled when he drew her into a tight hug, then released her.

"Happy birthday," she choked out. "I'd like a beer, please."

Emmett smiled widely. "I'm not even asking you, Ed. Two beers coming up."

When we had our drinks, we wandered over to the living room where a few small groups of people were gathered already. Most of them were guys Emmett worked with and their partners, and some were from our gym. I waved hello in passing as I led Spice over to where Rosalie was sitting on the sofa with a guy I couldn't remember having met.

Even though Emmett's girlfriend and my wife had shaken hands at our wedding, I wasn't sure Spice still remembered who she was. Hell, I certainly couldn't remember most of the people I'd met that night until they were introduced to me again.

"Hey, Rose. I guess you remember Bella. Baby, this is Rosalie, Emmett's girlfriend."

Spice smiled and held out her hand for the tall blonde to shake. Rose, who could be a real bitch a lot of the time, smiled genuinely at my wife.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you again. Finally, I'm not the only significant other in our guys' tight-knit group. Now we just have to find a girl for Seth and we're equal. Maybe we can have a say in their gaming stuff then." Rosalie winked at Bella, and the answering laugh was a relief.

Seeing that Emmett's girlfriend had never been my biggest fan, I hadn't been sure how she'd receive my wife; even more so since she knew about my less-than-honorable reasons for entering into our marriage. Apparently, though, either Emmett had informed her of my change of heart, or she honestly liked Bella. Regardless of the reasons, I was glad she wasn't merely civil, but actually nice to my Spice.

The blond guy on the couch had followed the whole exchange intently, his eyes slightly squinted. I'd never seen him before, yet somehow he gave me the creeps.

I didn't get a chance to ask Rose who her new friend was because I noticed Vicky saunter across the room, holding two bottles of beer. When she reached us, she handed one to Mr. Creepy, then turned to me for a hug.

"Hey, stranger. I haven't seen you in ages." She pulled back, her eyes twinkling.

Thankfully, she refrained from kissing my cheek, which she usually did when she was in a flirty mood. Luckily, she wasn't tonight.

"Hi, Vic. Well, I've been busy." As if to prove it, I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist and pulled her against me with a smile.

Vicky grinned right back. "I heard." Then she turned to my wife, extending her hand. "Hi, Bella. I'm quite sure you don't remember my name. I'm Victoria, but you can call me Vicky or Vic. I'm happy to meet you properly." Both women shared a smile, and after Bella replied with a thank you, and returned the sentiment, Vic turned to Mr. Creepy. "And this is my new boyfriend, James. Jim, this is Edward, and his wife, Bella."

Mr. Creepy reached out, shaking my hand with a little too much force and an eerie gleam in his eyes. Either he knew about Vic and me and he was marking his territory, or he felt generally threatened by her having male friends. Whatever it was, I instinctively disliked the guy.

When he greeted Bella, his demeanor changed and he laid on the charm thick. "Hi, Bella. Call me Jim. If I'd known you were in the pool, I'd have signed up for that show, too."

While I was close to ripping off his head, Vic hit him in his bicep with amusement. "Jim, come on. Knock it off. You wouldn't get married if your life depended on it. And that's why we're such a great match."

James let go of Bella's hand, and I placed mine over hers possessively on her thigh. Mr. Creepy turned to Vicky and made a show of shoving her against the back of the couch, pushing his tongue down her throat. Knowing Vic wasn't usually one for extensive PDA, I realized she had to be totally into the guy.

 _Well, to each their own, I guess._

We all looked around slightly embarrassed, trying not to watch the show they were putting on until they eventually broke apart, and a rather comfortable conversation started. Rosalie told Bella and Vicky that she and Emmett had decided to move in together once the lease on the apartment he and I had shared was up in a month. It wasn't a surprise, since Emmett and I had discussed it beforehand, and I had no plans on going back now that. I was married. For him to move in with his girlfriend of three years was the next logical step.

When they were done congratulating Rose on the decision, they started asking Bella questions about her job. That in itself wasn't strange. What threw me off, though, was how my normally proud and talkative wife answered many of the questions with polite yet curt replies. I had no idea what was going on there, but I knew I had to ask her about it sooner rather than later.

After that, talk turned to a book both Bella and Rose were reading, and Jim had struck up a conversation with one of the guys from our gym. That left Vic and me. After a quick scan of our drinks, we noticed that all our bottles were more or less empty; so, after placing a lingering kiss against Bella's temple, we set off toward the kitchen to get us all a refill.

"Dammit, Edward, I never thought I'd see you like this when you told me you were getting married. I never thought things would get this … real." Vic's words were sincere and without the slightest trace of humor. "Congratulations. You two look absolutely in love. It's adorable."

"Thanks," I replied with a hint of embarrassment.

Bumping her hip against mine, she said, "Hey, don't be shy. It's great you finally found the right woman." She paused for a moment, then continued in a lower voice. "I can tell you don't like Jim much, but he's special. I think he could be the one."

 _Fuck!_ Vic had never talked about settling down with anyone, and now, with that asshole, she thought she had a future. I wasn't going to burst her bubble. Nonetheless, I sure hoped she'd open her eyes to see him for the idiot he clearly was.

"I can't say we clicked, no." Everyone else had left the kitchen by then, and I got the chance to address what had been a burning issue to me. "Vic, I need to ask you a favor. I know I'll eventually have to tell Bella everything: the bet, the money and … about you and me. But I want to finish the show first, and then tell her when things have quieted down."

Before I could even ask her not to say anything, she'd placed her hand on my forearm reassuringly. "I won't say a word. I promise. It's not as though we were in love or anything. It was fun while it lasted, and now we're both moving on. I won't tell Bella anything — ever, okay?"

Feeling a weight taken off my shoulders, I hugged Vic gratefully. I hadn't expected her to mess things up for me. Still, hearing her confirm it was a big relief.

"Come on, your wife and my boyfriend, are waiting. We should go back so no one gets suspicious."

With that, we made our way back into the living room.

****TtK****

~Bella~

For most of the evening, I'd actually managed to forget about my predicament concerning Marcus and my job. Rosalie, who'd appeared to be a wee bit arrogant at our wedding, wasn't at all what I expected. Instead of bitching around, she greeted me with open arms, even asked me to join forces with her against our men.

And that wasn't the only thing we had in common. We also seemed to like the same books, frequented the same bars, and listened to the same type of music. With her confidence and snark, she would be the ideal addition to my group of girls.

I was also surprised to find Victoria, who'd kind of given me the stink eye at the wedding, was really nice and funny, as well. The way she bantered about with Edward and Rose made me see their group of friends was just as close as mine.

None of that included Vicky's boyfriend, James — or Jim, as he insisted being called. He was unnerving, and gave me goosebumps of the worst kind. He hadn't done anything to me, and he wasn't unfriendly or obtrusive, yet the way he observed everything with tight eyes and his mouth constantly set in a smirk, made shivers run down my spine.

Everything was fine until Edward and Vicky went to get new drinks, and shortly after, Rosalie got up to help Emmett with something — leaving me with Jim.

Nervously, I fidgeted in my seat, trying to peek into the kitchen and maybe get a chance to give Edward a signal so he could come rescue me. I was out of luck, though, because the kitchen door was partly closed, preventing me from catching a glimpse at Edward.

Unexpectedly, I felt someone scooting close to me, and suddenly Jim's warm breath hit the shell of my ear. "I guess they don't want us to see what they're doing. Seems like meeting at their former playground stirred up old feelings."

I pulled back in shock, not understanding what he was getting at. When I caught sight of his fierce expression, I felt the blood draining from my face.

I swallowed, trying to find a way around asking him what he was talking about, but that wasn't necessary because he continued with a strangely smug grin.

"You didn't know?" His smirk got wider. "Vic and your husband have been fuck-buddies for years. When they celebrated his last night of freedom together, he told her to lay low for as long as your show's going to last. Now that it's almost over, I guess he's trying to make plans to see her again soon. Too bad she fell in love with me in the meantime."

I blinked rapidly and gasped for air, trying to make sense of what he'd just told me. Could it be true? Edward had mentioned having friends with benefits, but would he let me make friends with a woman he'd bedded for years without telling me about their history together? And worse, would he have slept with her so shortly before our wedding and disrespected his future wife like that, even though he hadn't known me at the time?

Sadly, that behavior would fit the Edward I'd met those first few weeks of our marriage. It even explained why he "dared out" of telling me about the last time he'd had sex. It wasn't anything like the man I'd fallen in love with, though.

My expression must have given away my inner turmoil, because Jim reached over, patting my leg in fake-sympathy.

"Oh, honey, did you think he's in love with you?" He shook his head with an insincere, sad face. "I'm sorry to tell you he's only messing around with you. I guess you don't know about the bet or the money, either."

He handed me a shot of clear liquid, and I chugged it down without further thought. Jim sighed, then gave me another, and I threw it back, as well.

"Your dear husband bet he could get cast for the show you two are in. When he got the contract, he won Emmett's car and Seth's flat screen. Then he found out he'd get a pile of money for going through with it instead of chickening out. That was the icing on the cake, and he signed the contract. The three idiots think they'll make it big with their stupid game." Jim's amused chuckle made my stomach churn. However, he sobered up quickly.

"I'm so sorry he had you fooled like that. It was never about you."

I felt the tears prickling my eyes, but I couldn't let him see me break. I knew he was saying all that to taunt me; although, I wasn't sure what he'd be getting out of it. The guy was a snake, and with his revelations, he'd pulled the rug out from under my feet; nonetheless, I couldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing he got to me.

Making a snap decision, I reached for the bottle of vodka on the table, poured me another shot and knocked it back, then turned to Jim to deliver the performance of my life.

"Dammit, how did you know? I guess our gig is up." Swallowing my disgust, I placed my hand on his knee and leaned closer. "Please, don't tell anyone. I really need that money, too."

He looked taken aback, but covered my hand with his. "Your secret's safe with me if you promise to give me a call once you've gotten rid of the douchebag."

Pulling my hand out from under his, I tried not to gag as I told him I would do that, when Edward and Victoria emerged from the kitchen.

I fidgeted a bit, not sure how to act around Edward now. I decided I needed time and space to attempt to ponder what James had told me. I wasn't going to confront Edward about it tonight, and certainly not here. So, as hard as it was after everything I'd just heard, I put on my big girl panties and tried to act as though nothing had happened.

His kiss hello burned the skin of my neck, but I managed a small smile.

The rest of the night went by in a blur. I kept a close eye on every interaction between Edward and Victoria. However, it appeared that nothing out of the ordinary was going on there. Everyone was as friendly as they'd been, prior to Jim's revelation, yet, it all felt fake and hollow to me.

Every time Edward touched me, I had to keep from cringing away from him, and instead, told myself to absorb his displays of affection. If Jim were right, he'd be out of my life within the next thirty-six hours.

While I didn't partake in the conversations much, I tried to numb my reeling brain with alcohol. I wasn't drunk out of my mind. I had a good buzz going, though, when Edward finally decided to take me home. Maybe it was odd that I said goodbye to Edward's friends as though I'd never see them again, but I'd come to like them a lot, and at that point, it could very likely be true.

Edward hailed us a cab, and on the drive home, held my hand in his, drawing circles with his thumb on the back. In my alcohol-addled state, I wasn't sure what to make of it. Regardless, it felt familiar and soothing, so I let him be.

At home, we both got ready for bed. Apparently, Edward felt something was off because he didn't even try to have sex. When he pulled me against him in bed, he placed a kiss on the top of my head, murmuring, "We'll talk about what's going on with the restaurant tomorrow, okay?"

So he thought my silence tonight was about work? That was fine with me. I could pretend that was it — for now.

"Sure. Good night."

"Good night, Spice. Sweet dreams."

****TtK****

The next morning, I woke with a headache. Gladly, I had no hangover, though. My sleep had been fractured by nightmares and waking up breathless several times.

It was Saturday, and Edward didn't have to go to work on the weekends. If last night had taught me anything, it was that I needed time to myself to sort through everything Jim had unloaded on me. So, I decided to let Edward sleep in almost until Garrett and the team were to barge in and harass us.

Dammit, how was I going to hide from them that something was utterly wrong? Garrett had been very perceptive in the past. I wasn't ready to discuss what was going through my mind — not with Edward, and certainly not with everyone out there in front of their TVs.

Ten minutes before Garrett was to knock on our door, I was in the predicament to decide how to wake Edward. If it had been a day earlier, I'd have cuddled up to him and kissed up his neck or down his chest until he'd have wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close. Now that I wasn't sure if it was all an act, I couldn't let myself get drawn to him like that.

After biting my lip for a few minutes, I saw my hairbrush lying on my bedside table and reached out to knock it to the floor. As expected, the noise roused the sleeping man, making him groan at the ungentle awakening.

"Sorry," I muttered as I placed the brush back on the table.

The sheet slid down Edward's naked torso as he sat up in bed, rubbing his irritated eyes. And what a sight it was. He was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen — and touched. How could I have thought that perfect specimen of man could actually be interested in me?

My chest felt tight, and the lump in my throat was starting to choke me, so I turned around and told Edward to get ready because the camera team was on its way.

****TtK****

We made it through the shoot, but it was difficult. I tried to avoid Edward's gaze as much as possible, dodged questions here and there, and fidgeted around with everything within my reach. Edward made excuses and tried to explain my weird behavior by telling Garrett about the party the previous night and stress at work. Even if he didn't seem fully to buy it, he didn't ask further questions.

As soon as the team was out, I jumped to my feet and got dressed. I couldn't stand to be in the apartment and around Edward any longer. I needed to get out and clear my mind. When I reappeared in the living room, my husband — that sounded so strange now — looked at me with a stunned expression.

"Are we going out?"

"No," I quickly told him. "Um, I have to get to work early. Marcus won't be in today, and I have to take care of the deliveries." That was a lie, but Edward didn't know it.

Even though I didn't feel like it, I was sure he'd get suspicious if I left without a proper goodbye. So, before rushing out the door, I went to him and placed a quick peck on his cheek, telling him I might be late that night.

****TtK****

I wandered aimlessly through the streets of Manhattan for hours. My mind kept going back to every minute Edward and I had spent together, dissecting each word, look, and touch, trying to get them in line with what Jim had said.

I had no problem believing James's accusations when I thought back to Edward's behavior during our wedding night and the honeymoon. The cocky attitude and raunchy pick-up lines exactly fit the kind of person James had painted for me. I remembered wondering why someone like him would even enter a show like _Tie the Knot_ , let alone get cast to be someone else's perfect match.

In the light of my new knowledge, it all made a lot more sense. He'd acted exactly the way an eternal bachelor would, were he to get married for some ulterior motive. Then again, even in the beginning, his façade had cracked at times, and a normal, even adorably shy guy had shone through here and there. However, the bottom line was, he'd done it all for the money.

Knowing his passion for their game and how much work they'd put into it, it was easy to believe he'd go to whatever lengths necessary to make his dream come true. I wasn't even sure I could fault him for that. I probably wouldn't have, had he been honest with me and confessed everything to me at some point. That only made sense if he had feelings for me, though — which, evidently, he didn't.

As for the fuck-buddy thing, that made a lot of sense, too. Edward never appeared as though he could complain about a lack of sexual gratification. Also, he'd more than once admitted to never having had a serious relationship. On top of that, he'd almost had a stroke when he was supposed to tell me about the last time he'd had sex prior to the wedding. I would have too, had I been intimate with someone other than my fiancé the night before I got married.

My chest felt tight, and my stomach clenched at the mere thought of Edward having sex with Victoria less than twenty-four hours before he tried to sleep with me the night of our wedding. Tears stung my eyes, and I swiftly wiped away the ones that were already running down my cheeks.

He hadn't had the least bit of respect for me; otherwise, he wouldn't have tried to get with me when his bed hadn't even been cold yet — figuratively speaking. And to think he'd brought his slut to our wedding, having me shake her hand without knowing what had been going on between them the previous night. I felt nothing but disgust.

Last night, at Emmett's party, I could see their friendship ran deep. How could I be sure it was simply that, though? Was he planning to be with her again after divorcing me and pocketing his reward? The thought alone made me feel as though my heart was being ripped out of my chest.

Here I'd been thinking I'd made new friends. Knowing Rose had probably been in on everything the whole time, and she and Vicky, who'd seemed so nice and friendly, were undoubtedly laughing about stupid, smitten me behind my back, I suddenly felt sick and barely made it to the next trash can to rid myself of the few bites of breakfast I'd eaten during our shoot.

Embarrassed, broken, and sick, I sat down on the bench of a nearby bus stop and cried for what felt like hours, pouring out all my pain. I didn't care how people stared at the crazy woman in front of them. I had no other way of handling my disappointment and feelings of betrayal.

Eventually, I was all cried out. With last night playing on a loop in my head, I slowly came to the realization that I couldn't go on with this sham of a marriage. All the hopes and dreams I'd formed over the past weeks for a future with Edward had vanished, and what remained was the conviction that the only way for me was to state I wanted a divorce when we were asked during the final decision show tomorrow.

Feeling at least a slight bit of relief at having made up my mind, I hailed a cab and went to work.

****TtK****

For the first time in weeks, my workday passed by way too quickly. Even though I'd made up my mind and had more or less accepted it was the only way to go, small, nagging doubts crept in here and there over the course of the day.

Having to look at the counter, _our_ counter, repeatedly, brought memories of times I'd been sure Edward actually had feelings for me. Along with those came flashbacks of moments when he'd been sweet and tender; moments when it seemed as though those certain three little words had been at the tip of his tongue.

I pushed them all away, telling myself he was basically a stranger who had great acting skills. Had it even taken much to fool me into believing what we had was real? I was a woman so desperate I agreed to marry a stranger just to have someone to belong to. He could have won me over with a lot less than breakfast in bed and a perfect date most likely.

Naturally, my performance was less than stellar. When I almost cut off my finger, I handed the kitchen over to Tyler and hid out in Marcus's office for the rest of the night.

Closing time came too early. Not keen on going home and facing Edward, I dragged my feet, taking an overly long shower, securing every door and window several times, until I had no more reason not to go home.

During the cab ride, I looked at my phone for the first time, finding several messages from Edward asking how my day was going, when I'd be coming home, and later, why I was so late. I even had some missed calls, all placed after I didn't reply to his last text.

When I finally reached our door, I took a deep breath, preparing for what awaited me inside. I was hoping Edward was asleep already, but of course, I had no such luck.

He jumped off the couch the moment I opened the door, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug.

"Dammit, Spice. I was worried. Ten more minutes and I'd have gone out to look for you."

He sounded so sincere; I felt the need to apologize for scaring him.

"I'm sorry, but I was busy, and then my battery died."

Edward pulled back and his bright emerald eyes scrutinized my face, undoubtedly finding my cheeks hollow and my eyes still red and puffy from all the crying I'd done. His brow furrowed, and I knew he was about to ask what was going on.

I didn't want to talk about it. However, that wasn't what had me step closer and attack his mouth with mine. The emotion in Edward's eyes, even if it weren't real, set me off, and I needed to feel him touch me, own me, pretend he was mine one more time.

My tongue pushed into his mouth, and my hands gripped the hair at the nape of his neck, securing him to me. Picking up on my frantic mood, Edward pushed me into the bedroom, closing the door behind us without switching on any lights.

In the darkness of the room that held many of my best memories, we tore each other's clothes off, touched whatever body part was accessible, trying to commit every ridge, valley, and freckle to memory, because, come tomorrow, I'd never see or feel them again.

We soon landed on the bed in a heap of tangled limbs. Even though I'd loved our long and tender lovemaking sessions, I wasn't able to stand one right now. I needed Edward close to me, inside me, before I crumbled and became a crying mess.

It was obvious, he wasn't in the mood for long foreplay, either. Without breaking our frenzied kiss, he positioned himself at my entrance and pushed right in. My moan at the contact resembled a sob, but either Edward didn't notice or he didn't care.

When we were like this, it was easy to pretend we were in love and he was _all_ mine, even if, in truth, he wasn't. It didn't matter right now. I took what I could get of him, knowing it was the last time.

He moved inside me in the most intimate way as I clawed at him, clinging to his shoulders as though I were a drowning woman and he were my only salvation. My nails broke into his skin, yet it didn't matter. I couldn't let go now, not as long as he was mine for a few more minutes.

Our tongues battled wildly and our hips slammed together in an animalistic way. This was primal fucking, claiming each other. For whatever reason, Edward seemed to be as desperate as I was; albeit for a different reason.

We groaned and grunted in unison; not a sheet of paper would have fit between us as we pressed as much as we could of our skin together. I didn't want this to end, I didn't want _us_ to end, yet it was inevitable. When Edward's thrusts became wild and erratic, I couldn't take it anymore and my orgasm crashed over me like a tidal wave. Every nerve ending in my body tingled and my mind blanked.

When I came to, I felt my cheeks wet with tears and my chest heaving in silent sobs, my hands still holding on tightly to Edward's neck.

I couldn't be sure if he'd finished or not. Regardless, in a second, Edward's hands were cradling my head, holding me protectively as I cried like a baby. I could tell he was confused, but he tried to soothe me by placing kisses all over my face, murmuring things like, "Baby, it's okay. I'm here, it's okay," over and over again.

Then the words changed, and I heard him whisper, "I love you, Spice. I love you so much."

That struck me like lightning. I gasped, trying to push him away. It was too much. How could he play with me like that? Didn't he know you never said those words unless you meant them?

It was dark in the room. The moonlight coming through the open drapes bathed his face in an iridescent light, though — just enough for me to see him clearly.

And it wasn't a lie. It wasn't a line he'd said because he thought I wanted to hear it. The truth was in his beautiful, fearful eyes. He loved me. He truly loved me. All the doubts that had crept in over the day made sense now.

He might have gotten into this for the wrong reasons, yet at some point, things had changed. I couldn't tell what he'd been thinking, but right now, and hopefully forever, he was in love with me, as I with him.

Words failed me at that moment, and all I could do was crush my lips to his, and show him how I felt with actions instead.

We stayed tangled together for as long as we could stay awake, not speaking another word until we both fell asleep in each other's arms.

Whatever the reason he decided to get married, he was my husband now, and I wasn't going to let him go. If I had to fight Victoria for him or walk over burning coals, he was mine and I would keep him!

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Wow! That was a long one. Now, how did you like Vicky now that you finally met her? Many of you were afraid she'd try to break up Edward and Bella, or that she's secretly in love with Edward. Now you know she's not. She just made the mistake of trusting someone she loves.

As for Bella's reaction, what did you think of that? She played it cool for James but freaked out once she was alone. And seeing she believed Edward in the end, I think she was entitled to little bit of a meltdown on the way to get there.

Okay, what's next? Will everything be rainbows and kittens from here on out? I have to tell you it won't. Still, this chapter was as angsty as it gets. But the drama is not over yet. Here's a little sneak peek into next chapter:

… _Erratically, my mind jumped from one disaster to the next — our bets, my last night with Vicky, and our game. Then, all of a sudden, I had an idea. …_

Why's that all a problem now? Doesn't he know Bella believes him? And what plan did he just come up with? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

There's one more thing, I've finally run out of pre-written chapters. With the plot change and some difficulties in RL, I haven't managed to write as much as I would have liked. I'm trying to get the next chapter to you in two weeks, but I can't promise I'll make it. To be sure you don't miss the next update, make sure you follow me or this story or join the Facebook group.

See you soon.


	20. Chapter 20 - Desperate Times

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the delay, but sick kids and sick coworkers made it impossible for me to get this ready to post on time. However, I did my best to get it up as soon as I could, and, tada, here it is.

I'm glad you all seemed to be happy with the direction last chapter took. I can tell you, my original idea would have had you curse me out, lol.

I had a lot of help with this. I ask you all to give a big round of applause to **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** , and **LaPumuckl**. Those ladies go to great lengths to make what I write readable. Thank you very much for your time!

Now, let's see if our favorite couple's out of the woods. Enjoy! See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Twilight_ or _Married at First Sight_ …

******TtK******

Chapter 20 – Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

~Edward~

I couldn't believe I'd said it. I'd really said it. And Spice hadn't run away screaming.

She had been off since I came home from work Friday night, and because of Emmett's party and her extended shift on Saturday, we hadn't yet gotten the chance to discuss what was going on with her. When we first arrived at Em's, she was her usual, friendly, funny self. Then, after I returned from my run for new drinks, she'd been withdrawn and silent again. Apparently, she'd had a couple drinks too, and continued on from there; so much so she was quite tipsy when I decided to take her home and put her to bed.

Her mood hadn't improved much overnight, and her distress and lack of concentration was noticed by Garrett and his cameras. To shield her from intrusive questions, I'd jumped in and made clear the problem was work-related and off-limits to the show.

I'd decided to make her talk after the shoot, but as soon as the team left, Bella ran out, too, barely saying goodbye to me. I was tempted to call Marcus and ask him what was going on, but considering the secrets I was still hiding from her, I didn't dare go behind her back.

The day had dragged on without word from my wife. It wasn't like her to text me every few minutes, but she usually checked in via text message a time or two. Not so that Saturday. I got more and more worried as the day wore on without word from her.

In the early afternoon, I'd given in and texted her to ask her how things were going, but didn't get a reply. Then, in the evening, I'd sent a message, inquiring when to expect her home, but again, I didn't get an answer. When, around midnight, she still wasn't home, I sent one last text, asking her where she was and why she was late. By then, I was beyond expecting a reply. Something was very wrong, and I couldn't take it anymore.

After several calls that weren't picked up, I was about to jump up, grab my keys, and roam the streets in search of her when the door opened and Bella, looking like death warmed over, stepped into the living room. Her eyes were red and puffy with dark blue circles underneath.

Dammit! I needed to know what was going on right then. However, before I could open my mouth to ask, Spice attacked me, and we ended up having a go at each other as though it were the last time. Even though we still hadn't addressed what was going on, I was relieved to see our physical connection was still there – until I heard her gut-wrenching sobs.

Frantic with the need to calm her down, I kissed and caressed her face, murmuring sweet nothings. When she wouldn't settle down, I needed to soothe her, make her relax – and the words just tumbled out.

I didn't know what I expected, but when she gazed into my eyes with disbelief that quickly turned into awe, I knew I was feeling an amount of inner piece I had never known. It didn't matter that she hadn't said it back. It had been there in her eyes.

No words were uttered after that, and we fell asleep, wrapped around each other.

****TtK****

The next day was Sunday, also known as the _Day of Reckoning_. After breakfast with Garrett, then getting ready alone, the cameras would accompany us to the studio. Carlisle and Esme would be waiting to have a final chat with us, and in the end, they would ask the pivotal question of whether we wanted to stay married or get a divorce.

The day started out almost perfectly with Bella curled around me like a vine. Seeing and feeling her like that made me smile at the thought that, from this day forward, we'd be waking up like that without stupid cameras getting in the way.

I savored the moment for as long as possible until it was time to get up and get ready for our final breakfast with Garrett and his crew. Deciding to let Spice sleep for a while longer, I untangled myself from her to go take a shower.

Half an hour later, I snuck back into the bedroom, crouching down next to Bella's side of the bed. She was still sound asleep, her long lashes fanning out over the creamy skin of her cheekbones. The dark circles had lessened a bit, but she still looked exhausted.

As much as I wanted to let her sleep, I couldn't, or she wouldn't be happy appearing in front of the cameras straight out of bed. So, instead of continuing to watch her rest, I leaned over and placed a lingering kiss on her lips.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. It's time to get ready for the big showdown."

Her lids started to flutter, and she sighed heartily, then opened her big brown eyes to look at me. Her gaze held a certain amount of wariness, but fierce determination at the same time.

"Morning, Spice. I'm sorry, but you need to get ready for Garrett and the guys." I smiled apologetically while brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

Her voice was hoarse with sleep when she opened her mouth to reply. "Morning." With some effort, she managed to sit up and swing her legs out of bed. "Guess I have to get up."

She squeezed one of my hands, which were both resting on the mattress, then shuffled her way into the bathroom.

****TtK****

I wasn't halfway close to being a decent cook, but having learned a thing or two being married to a chef, I managed to prepare eggs and bacon. Surprisingly, I was done and had set the table by the time Bella strolled into the living room, dressed in black yoga pants and a pale pink tank top.

"Wow, this looks great," she complimented, but was cut off by a knock on the door.

As expected, our director and his team had arrived for the last of our daily shoots. We greeted each other warmly — after all, we'd gotten to know one another pretty well over the past six weeks. However, we had kept as much to ourselves as was possible under the circumstances.

Compared to the previous day, the mood during the shoot was much lighter; although, a good amount of tension due to nerves was still keeping us on edge. We made fun for a bit and discussed some of the experiences we'd had during the course of the show. Bella was more relaxed and open than the day before, but still a bit reserved.

The hour passed before we knew it, and Garrett and the team left to set up in the limousine that was supposed to take us to the hotel where we were to meet with the experts.

We got ready mostly in silence, sharing shy smiles a few times. Yes, Bella was less tense, but not everything was back to normal. A nagging thought in the back of my head reminded me she hadn't returned the sentiment when I told her I loved her, but I let myself be reassured by the fact she didn't run away or deny it, either.

Once we were dressed — Bella in a pretty skirt and blouse with ballet flats and me in dark jeans, a button-up shirt, and sneakers — we made our way downstairs to the waiting limo. Once inside, there was an air of nervousness that made Bella lean into me as I wrapped my arm around her.

"I'm sorry, but could you please keep your distance from each other? It's much more interesting to the viewers if they have a difficult time figuring out if you'll stay married or not. You can hold hands if you want to, but this is way too obvious." In all the weeks we'd known Garrett, that was the first real direction he gave us. Mostly, he'd just had his cameras capture the moment. He usually didn't get involved beyond prompting a conversation about one thing or another.

Reluctantly, Bella scooted away from me, our hands that rested on the seat between us touching lightly.

After the chastisement, we drove the rest of the way in uncomfortable silence, looking out our respective windows, only here or there sharing a quick glance while answering the odd question from our director.

When we arrived at the hotel, we were led to a suite where the camera team was setting up their equipment and Demetri was standing around, chatting with Dr. Platt and Dr. Cullen. When they noticed us, all three turned around, greeting us with warm handshakes. Bella asked to be shown to the bathroom before the makeup people needed her, and I was told to wait until it was my turn to get ready for the cameras.

As I looked around at the amount of lights and cameras placed throughout the room, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the screen, only to frown in surprise when I saw Vicky's name there. Vic hadn't called me since the wedding, so I was a little nervous to have her phone me now.

I didn't have the time to deliberate what to do, so acting on instinct, I hit "Accept" and waved to signal Demetri I was going to take a call outside the suite.

"Edward, oh God, I'm so glad I could get a hold of you," Vic rushed out, not even giving me the chance to greet her.

"Hey Vicky. I'm sorry, but I don't have much time. If this isn't important —"

I was cut off when she blurted out, "Bella knows."

Stopping dead in my tracks, I swallowed. "What do you mean, she knows?"

"Edward," she sounded worried, "Bella knows everything. Jim told her."

My heart plummeted and started to race. This couldn't be real. Why did James tell her? And how did he even know? Was that why Bella was so withdrawn and distraught yesterday? Did she believe him? What exactly did he tell her?

Obviously, I asked that last question out loud, because Vic hurried to tell me her boyfriend had spilled everything he knew.

"He says he set her straight about her only being part of a bet and a ploy to get the three of you the money for the game. He even insinuated you'd leave her once the show was over. Edward, I'm so sorry I told him, but I really thought I was in love with him. He was so jealous that I had to tell him the truth about us."

Vic rambled on, but I didn't hear another word. Jim told Bella I'd lied to her from the beginning and would dump her when I got what I wanted. All of a sudden, her behavior the previous day made so much more sense. She was distant, couldn't meet my eyes, and ran away as soon as we were alone. Then she didn't come home until after midnight, her eyes red-rimmed.

 _Shit!_ She believed him! She thought I was only in it for the money, and if that were the truth, I'd ask her for a divorce today. _Fuck!_ She probably thought my confession last night was nothing more than an act to make everything look natural when, in truth, I was only playing her.

I murmured into the phone that I had to go, and sank down with my back to wall of the hotel hallway.

What was I supposed to do? How could I show her I was honestly in love with her and wouldn't survive if I lost her? Sure, I signed up for the money, but compared to her, it didn't matter.

Erratically, my mind jumped from one disaster to the next — our bets, my last night with Vicky, and our game. Each of those offenses was worse than the last. Then, all of a sudden, I had an idea. If Bella thought I was in it for the money, she'd have to believe me if I relinquished it.

Jumping up from my spot on the floor, I rushed back into the suite and strode over to where Carlisle and Demetri were having a conversation over coffee.

"I'm sorry, but do you have a minute?" I asked the two of them, indicating the supposedly empty bedroom to our left.

"Sure, Edward," Carlisle replied, then led the way.

With sweating hands and a dry throat, I followed him and waited for Demetri behind me to close the door.

"What's going on, Edward?" the psychologist asked, as we all took a seat.

I rubbed my palms over my thighs, then spilled my secret. "I'm a fraud."

Both men looked bewildered, waiting for me to elaborate.

"I lied to you during my interviews. I had a bet going with my friends that I'd get cast for the show. After I won, I had planned to duck out, but then you gave me the contract with the $50,000 compensation in it. I needed that money, so I decided to go through with the wedding."

When I looked up from my hands, I found both men staring at me incredulously. I could see Demetri's anger building, but Carlisle looked contemplative. After a minute of silence, the psychologist was the first one to talk.

"Why are you telling us now that you're so close to getting what you had set your sights on?"

Holding his imploring gaze, I replied with the truth. "Because I love Bella, and I'm afraid of losing her."

Carlisle nodded, then Demetri found his voice.

"You're aware you didn't only lose your money, but we can sue you for breach of contract?"

I hadn't thought about that, but right now, the only thing I cared about was my wife.

"If that's what it takes, I'll handle it." I sounded much more confident than I felt, but I actually didn't give a shit right now.

Demetri opened his mouth to say something else, but Carlisle stopped him by holding up his hand. "Edward, could you give us some time to discuss this, please? I guess it may take a while, but please, don't leave."

I nodded, then walked into the other room.

Bella looked up from the mirror in front of her when she heard the door close behind me. Steeling myself for what was to come, I crossed the room and stopped behind her so our eyes could meet in the mirror.

"Spice, are you done yet? I need to talk to you."

An inquiring glance at the stylist told us Bella was ready and free to leave.

I led her into the second bedroom, which was thankfully empty. Closing the door for privacy's sake, I motioned for my wife to take a seat on the king size bed, and she did so with trepidation. Too keyed up to sit down myself, I paced from one end of the room to the other to find the right way to say what I needed to say.

"What's going on?" Bella's soft voice made me stop.

Instead of continuing in my tracks, I purposefully walked over to where she was sitting and kneeled down in front of her so we were almost eye level.

"Bella," I started, taking both her hands in mine, "there's something I should have told you weeks ago."

She opened her mouth to interrupt me, but I silenced her with a look.

"I know James told you what he thought was the truth, but it's not — not even close. I lost a bet with Emmett, and he made me go to the show's casting call he'd read about. When I heard what it was for, that the people who wanted to partake in the show needed to get married, I turned tail and ran." I had to smile at the memory of how scandalized I'd felt by the simple thought of getting hitched.

"When I told Em and Seth about it, they baited me, saying I wasn't the kind of guy they were looking for anyway. You know I don't like to lose, so I bet them I'd get the expert to choose me as one of their grooms."

That was the part that made me feel embarrassed the most. "I lied to them, telling them what I thought they wanted to hear, and while I thought I had no hope, they did pick me. I had fully intended to tell them I wasn't going to be on their asinine show, but when I leafed through the contract and found out about the money, well ... that was almost the exact amount we need to launch our game. So, I signed the contract and planned to play along for the six weeks, and then get a divorce and continue on with my life." I paused, looking up into her expressive, chocolate eyes. "But then I saw you."

Bella gazed at me expectantly, waiting patiently for me to tell her the whole story.

"I hadn't planned for _you_ to walk into my life. You changed everything. I still needed the money, but I didn't need to put up an act. Every word I've ever told you is true, Bella. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I would never be able to divorce you. Every lie I told the experts suddenly became true. I want the house in the suburbs, the white picket fence, two-point-five kids, and a dog."

She was biting her lip, looking at me hopefully.

"I fell in love with you, Spice. Even if nothing else I did here was honest, that is the god-honest truth. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I wouldn't survive it if I lost you. There are billions of dollars out there, but there's only one of you. To prove to you that I'm being sincere, I talked to Carlisle and Demetri and told them about my lies. They might even sue me for my last penny, but I don't care. I wanted to show you that I choose you over the money."

Bella's eyes brimmed with tears when she answered, "I knew. Oh, Edward, I knew. You didn't have to do that. I knew when you told me you loved me last night. And though I wasn't able to say it back, I do love you, too."

Without wasting a second, I crushed my mouth to hers, taking her by surprise, but it didn't take long for her to react. Her lips molded themselves to mine, and her tongue swept across my bottom lip, asking for entrance, which I granted willingly.

We lost ourselves in our first completely honest kiss, almost forgetting where we were, and what was going on around us. If it had been my decision, I would have taken my wife right there, to consummate our love for the first time, but Bella eventually pulled away panting.

"There's one more thing," she started after mostly catching her breath. "What about Victoria?"

That was the point I really wanted to skip, but I understood my wife had a right to know.

Embarrassed by my reckless behavior, I took a steadying breath before giving up my last secret. "Vicky and I had been friends with benefits for the past three years … up until two nights prior to our wedding. There has never been anything other than friendship and sexual attraction between us. I've never been in love with her, and she doesn't love me, either. She's a real good friend and fun to be around, but I can understand if you want me to stay away from her."

I looked into her eyes imploringly, hoping this last straw wouldn't break the camel's back.

Spice smiled a tight smile. "James told me it was the night before our wedding." A tear glistened in her eye, but she blinked it away. "I felt so stupid after Emmett's party. Here I thought I was making new friends, but after James clued me in, I felt as though everyone there had been laughing at me."

"They weren't. I could tell they genuinely like you. Rose is never nice to new people, but she practically ate out of your hand. And Vic told me in the kitchen that you were perfect for me and she's happy for us. The only thing you could hold against them is the fact they kept my secrets."

Nodding with a soft sigh, she responded, "I liked them, too. And I believe you if you say Vicky is just a friend. I can handle you having female friends, as long as you promise to be faithful to me."

I palmed her cheek, stroking the soft skin with my thumb. "Oh, baby, I haven't even thought of anyone else since you walked down that aisle toward me."

As though to emphasize my words, I leaned in, touching my lips to hers firmly but reverently, pouring all of myself into the kiss.

A quiet knock on the door interrupted our tender lip-lock. "Edward, Bella, may we come in?" Carlisle's voice came through the door.

After checking with my wife for confirmation, I replied, "Sure, come in."

The door opened, and Carlisle entered, followed by Esme and Demetri. The three of them stopped in the middle of the room, and instinctively, Bella and I rose to our feet to meet them head on.

Carlisle and Esme smiled at us reassuringly as Demetri began to speak. "Well, we had a long discussion about the situation, and we came to the decision that, if you play along for the final show and two follow-up interviews, at one month and half a year from now, we won't sue you for breach of contract. After all, you still entered into an arranged marriage willingly, and if what we walked in on here is any indication, it was definitely a success." He smirked with amusement, then turned serious once more. "I can't help withholding your compensation money from you. Your scheming and lying made you forfeit that, but we'll let it go as long as you keep that truth to yourself. We're preparing an NDA for you to sign that forbids you from ever publicly speaking about your deceit."

I exhaled loudly, mostly relieved, but a bit disappointed, as well. I was glad they weren't dragging me into court for money I didn't even have, but at the same time, I was sorry I wouldn't be getting the funds I needed. Then again, if the options were pocketing the fifty grand or keeping Bella, I'd clearly hit the bigger jackpot with the latter.

Pulling Spice into my side, I said, "I'll sign whatever you want. Thank you."

Demetri waved me off. "I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but I want your story on TV. Now, let the stylist have a last go at you two, then we're on to shoot the decision."

****TtK****

Half an hour later, three cameras were pointed at us as we sat on a sofa across from Carlisle and Esme. Like in the car on the way over, we'd been instructed not to sit too close, and to hold hands at the most, if we felt we needed the physical contact.

"Hi, Bella, hi, Edward. I haven't seen the two of you since your interviews. Why don't you tell us how you've been?" Esme started the conversation as if we hadn't talked to her a few minutes ago.

Beside me, Bella licked her lips. "Well, we kind of had a rocky start, but we … overcame our differences."

"A 'rocky start' is a nice way to put it. I remember you had hit a serious roadblock in communication when you called me in for help four weeks ago." Carlisle threw in his two cents, probably to make things more interesting for our viewers.

It was my turn to reply. "Yeah, we happened to have some misunderstandings, but that's all in the past now."

Even though we both liked Carlisle and Esme, and we really appreciated his help, we weren't willing to share any more of our private stuff than we had to with the cameras around. It seemed they noticed as much, and in turn, changed their method of inquiry.

"What was the most difficult aspect of living so intimately with someone for the first time?" Esme directed her question toward Bella.

She pondered her answer for a moment, then smiled reminiscently. "Spending day and night with a virtual stranger was tough. Then understanding and accepting there was another person you had to factor in when you made decisions, even if they were small, was a whole new concept for both of us, and we struggled with it a lot." She looked at me, giving me a conspiratorial half smile. "Then we seemed to misunderstand every word the other one said, up to a point where we stopped talking all together. Eventually, though, we did find a way to communicate. That was when we realized we had a lot in common and began appreciating each other."

"It's not easy to change course after the kind of arguments you had. What prompted you to finally talk again?" Carlisle redirected the conversation to me.

We'd already explained as much when we'd given our daily statements three weeks ago, but I knew this was for our audience more than it was for the experts.

"We had a big fight one night after going out with our friends. We screamed at each other for hours, until we'd said everything that needed to get out. From there on, we were able to move forward."

We'd definitely screamed a lot that night, but mostly not _at_ each other but _with_ each other. Great times!

"From the way you're sitting together today, I'd say you're getting along rather well now." Carlisle smirked knowingly. Of course, from our earlier talk, he already knew what was going on.

We both just smiled, wanting to get this over with as quick as possible. Apparently, the experts noticed that, as well.

"Okay," Esme started after sitting up straighter. "You've spent the past six weeks as a married couple. You went through some bad times and some good times – the 'for better or for worse', if you will. But today, we're here so you can both tell us your decisions about your future. Whether you want to stay together as husband and wife..." Smiling warmly, she turned to my wife first. "Bella, have you come to a decision? Do you want to stay married to Edward or do you want a free and clear divorce?"

Even though I knew she was in love with me, as I was in love with her, I was still terrified she could want to walk away and leave me behind. The hand I held in mine squeezed lightly, and that was all the reassurance I needed.

Bella smiled widely at the two experts. "Six weeks ago, I'd never have thought I'd say this, but, yes, I want to stay married to Edward."

With a satisfied expression on their faces, they then turned to me. "Edward, did you make a decision, as well? Do you want to continue your marriage commitment to Bella?"

Not able to contain my elation, I grinned and said confidently, "I'd be an idiot if I let her go. Of course, I'm going to stay married to Bella."

I felt the strong urge to grab my wife and kiss her stupid, but we hadn't given the cameras any PDA so far, and I sure wasn't going to start now that the ordeal was almost over. So instead, I squeezed her hand back and locked eyes with her for a long moment before focusing back on Esme and Carlisle.

"Congratulations, you two," Carlisle said with genuine joy. "We wish you all the best for your future together. May your marriage be long and prosperous! Thanks for partaking in our experiment."

After a few more rounds of good-byes, good wishes, and reminders that we'd be seeing everyone in a month, for an update, we were on our way — hand in hand.

As soon as we got to the lobby, as though someone had given a silent command, we started to sprint for the exit and the next available cab.

We had secured the knot, and we were going home.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Well, how did you like Edward's grand gesture? I know, most of you will say it could have been avoided if they'd only talked. Now, we all know talking isn't their strength. I promise a longer discussion of everything that's not been said here in the next chapter.

Okay, anyone up for a teaser? Here goes:

… _As I felt my own dream crash in front of me, I slowly realized there was a way that not all four of us in this room had to bid their future plans goodbye. …_

What now? What plans are crashing and who might have a shot at fulfilling their dreams? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

As for next chapter, I'm aiming for an update about two weeks from now give or take, but everyone who has a job and kids knows it's hard to make any promises. All I can assure you is I'll do my best.

See you next chapter.


	21. Chapter 21 - What's Mine Is Yours

**A/N:** Hello, hello. I'm back. This time it wasn't only the kids falling sick, but I caught a pretty nasty cold with coughing fits that kept me from writing for several days. On top of that, the chapter I was working on gave me a really hard time. But more about that next time.

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I hope I didn't miss anyone when I sent out replies over the past few days.

Thank you so much to **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl** for their great help and support. Without them, this would suck so bad.

Now, the show is over, for now, but what will happen to the restaurant and the game? And what else does Edward have to confess to? Enjoy reading. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Twilight_ or _Married At First Sight_ …

******TtK******

Chapter 21 – What's Mine Is Yours

~Bella~

We barely made it into our apartment before Edward pressed me up against the door, his lips attached to mine. Without faltering, his hands were under my skirt, ripping off my panties while he kissed and sucked his way down my neck.

I gasped at his urgency, but the need to have him inside me — to be joined with my husband — outweighed the shock. This was the first time we were together, knowing we loved each other and were staying married. It was special, and maybe we shouldn't have consummated our love standing upright against the front door. However, neither of us had the patience to move to the bedroom or even the sofa.

Edward's hand grabbed my left thigh and wrapped my leg around his waist, granting him easy access to my wet core.

"Dammit, Spice! You're so ready for me." He coated his fingers in my wetness, and when he circled my clit, I threw my head back, moaning with need. "Fuck! I'd love to make you come like this, but I need to be inside you."

His fingers vanished, and I hissed with disappointment until I heard the jingling of his belt buckle and the frustrated growl when his jeans wouldn't open fast enough. Lifting my head, I saw an adorable little pout on my husband's lips, and I couldn't hold back a giggle.

The button and zipper gave way, and he narrowed his eyes at me playfully as his jeans and boxer briefs dropped to the floor.

"I'll teach you to laugh at me, Mrs. Masen." With that, he'd positioned his rock-hard cock at my entrance, and unceremoniously thrust into me, at the same time, lifting my other leg and draping it around his hip.

My back was pressed against the wood, held up by his hands on my ass as he set a fast pace. With my arms around his neck, I held onto him for dear life, scared to drop to the ground. A moment later, Edward's lips found mine, and all thoughts of anything apart from his warm body touching mine, and his pounding into me disappeared.

He moaned into my mouth as one of his hands let go of my ass cheek and yanked up my top to grant him access to my bra. One cup was pulled down, and Edward's nimble fingers tweaked and twisted my nipple. The added sensation made me go mad with lust.

I loved it when we touched each other tenderly, but when he was a bit rough with me, I was turned on beyond reason.

Tilting my hips, Edward changed the angle of his thrusts, hitting exactly the right spot to have me pant and moan so loud it echoed through the apartment. I was beginning to feel as though I were floating due to oxygen deprivation from our ongoing kiss combined with everything else Edward was doing to my body. Then, all of a sudden, his hand let go of my nipple, and instead, started to rub my clit frantically.

"I need you to get there, Spice. Fuck, yes, come for me!"

In my head, the noises I made when I tumbled over the edge were loud enough to alert our whole block. I felt myself clenching down on Edward's cock, and he grunted and groaned as he came deep inside me.

Our labored breathing gradually turned into a fit of giggles as we both came down from our high.

"Wow," I managed to get out, still winded from the exertion.

"Damn right, wow! Spice, you have no idea how much I love you." He choked out the words with a tender kiss to my lips as he slowly lowered us to the ground.

I held on tight, kissing him back with fervor, then I replied, "I love you, too."

****TtK****

An hour and another romp between the sheets later, we were in our bed, cuddled up under the covers. My head was in its now-usual place on Edward's chest, and his arms were around me.

"I can't believe it's all over," I stated, absentmindedly running my hand over Edward's toned stomach.

"Nothing is over. We're just starting," Edward replied seriously, but with a smile in his voice.

Poking his side, I chastised him with a laugh. "That's not what I was talking about. I meant that we're free now."

He chuckled out an "Ouch!" then drew me closer. "You're not free. You're shackled to me for the rest of your life."

Sighing theatrically while holding up my left hand to look at my wedding band, I said, "At least it's quite the pretty shackle."

Edward reached out to touch the yellow gold, then covered my hand with his. "Here's something else I regret. I didn't choose that ring for you."

I realized I'd never wondered how he got that particular ring. Sure, I'd thought it was flashy and probably too expensive for my taste, but why had he chosen it?

"You didn't? How did you get it then?"

Edward exhaled loudly. "You know, every time I have to tell you about my lies, I'm scared I'll finally drive you away. But I want to tell you nothing but the truth from now on." He glanced at me nervously before he went on. "Well, I have to admit I didn't care one bit about a damn ring back then. Hell, I didn't want to get married. I had nightmares about my bride turning out to be Mrs. Doubtfire or something like that. I'd never bought jewelry in my life, and I didn't have the first idea about wedding rings and bands. So, I asked Emmett to tag along, and he more or less chose the ring. To be brutally honest, I hadn't even looked at it until it was on your finger."

I wasn't happy to hear his revelation, but I wasn't surprised either. At least I could appreciate his honesty, and knew he hadn't chosen the ring because he thought I'd like it. It simply wasn't me. I was still contemplating what to say when Edward continued.

"The jeweler asked me if I wanted to wear a matching band, and I replied I'd rather die than be caught dead with one. The weird thing is, now I wish I was wearing a ring, too."

He sounded so regretful that I promised myself I'd give him something as a sign of my love next chance I got. However, all the talk of Emmett reminded me of something.

"Um, Edward, after everything you went through to get you and the guys the money to launch your game, why did you throw that away today?"

"Because I realized it was wrong and I was scared of losing you." He rolled us over so I was on my back, and he could look into my eyes easily. "When Vic called and told me you knew everything, I panicked. Suddenly, I remembered the distance between us since the party and your tear-stricken face last night, and I was sure you were going to ask for a divorce."

"I was," I interrupted, wanting to be entirely honest with him, as well. "I couldn't help believing Jim, though I didn't want to. I walked around the city yesterday morning, crying like a madwoman. In the end, I'd decided to let you go before you could devastate me by telling me you didn't want to stay married. But when you said you loved me, I had to believe you, and I decided I wasn't willing to let you go."

"I didn't know that. I felt as though you were slipping through my fingers, and I had to do something — a grand gesture — to make you see I meant it; that I want you so much more than the fifty grand."

I kissed him hard, feeling the need to show this sweet, stupid man how much I appreciated him and his sacrifice.

After a passionate lip lock, we broke apart and returned to our former position, and I went back to my earlier train of thought.

"You have to tell Em and Seth about the money."

Edward sighed deeply, running his hand along my arm. "You're right. Fuck! They'll be really upset."

I knew their bets were abominable, and they deserved what they were getting now, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for Edward.

"I'll go with you. Come on. Let's get ready to leave," I said, sitting up. "Text them to meet us at Emmett's."

****TtK****

We took a quick shower together, washing each other thoroughly, then drove the Mustang to Emmett's apartment.

We didn't talk much on the way over, but once the car was parked, Edward grabbed my hand tightly and didn't release it. He didn't knock, walking right in as he'd probably done for the past five years or so.

The boys were sitting in the living room looking up at us apprehensively when we entered the room and took a seat on the couch across from them.

"What's up, Ed?" Emmett said by way of greeting. "Your text sounded urgent."

"I have to tell you something." Edward took a big breath before dropping the bomb. "I won't be getting the fifty grand."

Emmett jumped up from the couch as Seth's eyes flitted to me nervously.

"Shit! What happened? Did Bella...?" Emmett let the question hang when he remembered I was in the room.

Edward ran his hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. "The gig is up. I came clean with the execs and the experts today."

"Why the fuck would you do that?" This time it was Seth swearing.

Holding my hand in a death grip, Edward braced himself for the truth. "Vic called today, letting me know that Jim spilled everything to Bella on Saturday. I was scared shitless that she'd ask for a divorce, so the only thing I could think of to make her believe I was serious about us was to give up the money. I'm sorry, guys, but I felt as though I had to make a choice, and I chose my wife." He lifted our clasped hands to his mouth and kissed the back of mine.

Both his friends looked taken aback, but their anger had already deflated. Emmett was the first one to comment on Edward's confession.

"What did he tell you, Bella?"

Seth and Emmett stared at me in shock. "He told me everything. He had some of the details wrong, but it was more or less the whole sordid truth."

"And you believed him," Seth stated more than asked in defeat.

"I did, at first. Then I realized it wasn't the truth anymore. Unfortunately, Edward didn't know that." I smiled up at him sadly.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, then Emmett spoke up. "I don't blame you, Ed. If it had been me and Rose, I would have done the same." His expression was sympathetic but full of disappointment at the same time.

"I understand it, too," Seth agreed. "It was wrong from the beginning. Bella, I'm sorry we ever came up with that asinine idea."

I hadn't thought about it until now, but I wasn't sorry. "I'm not. I doubt I'd ever have met Edward — or any of you, for that matter — if he hadn't signed up for the show."

Edward leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my lips, and we were about to deepen it when Emmett interrupted us.

"How did that creep know all of that anyway?" His loud voice boomed as he poured four glasses of whiskey, then sat down again.

After a moment of gathering his thoughts, Edward replied, "Ugh, well, it came from Vic. She rambled about how Jim was 'so jealous' of us and since she thought she loved him, she had to tell him. But, honestly, not much registered after she said that Jim told Bella, and regardless, we have bigger problems right now."

"Yeah, like how are we getting the money?" Seth asked, then downed his shot.

"Could you maybe get a loan?" I had no idea if that was an option, but it was the first thing I had contemplated for getting money when Marcus made me his offer.

 _Marcus, dammit!_ I hadn't even thought about that dilemma since all hell broke loose. However, I couldn't solve that problem now anyway, so I decided to concentrate on the matter at hand.

Edward sighed beside me. "We tried that first. No one is willing to invest in that kind of a gamble. We don't have enough in the bank, either. And we're too old to ask our parents for handouts. So, the opportunity for the fifty thousand made an appearance exactly when we were pretty much desperate."

"Three years of work for nothing. We'll all waste away in our shitty jobs in the basements, working for ungrateful assholes." Emmett downed his shot, then immediately poured himself another and threw it back, as well.

The atmosphere around the table was depressing. I couldn't condone their original plan, seeing I wasn't the only one getting hurt in the process, but I could relate to their longing for a more fulfilling job. Their dreams had been shattered in an instant.

That thought brought me back to my own dreams and how unattainable they appeared to be. Shit! If no one had been willing to give three guys fifty thousand dollars for their game, how was I going to get a loan five times that size? Sure, _Volturi's_ was worth it, but I was still a rather young chef without any collateral. And Marcus needed an answer within the next five days.

As I felt my own dream crash in front of me, I realized there was a way that not all four of us in this room had to bid their future plans goodbye. Edward didn't have his fifty thousand, but I would have mine in my bank account within a week.

The money would never be enough to buy me my restaurant, but it was enough to fund my husband's dream.

"Um, you need fifty grand, right?" I asked, interrupting the guys moaning about what had all gone wrong so far.

They all looked up at me with varying degrees of bewilderment. "That and the few thousand we have in the bank, yes," Edward replied cautiously.

Swallowing dryly, I spoke in a steady voice. "You can use my fifty thousand, then."

Edward stared at me in shock, then started shaking his head. "You can't do that. That money is yours. You have to save it to buy your own restaurant one day."

I knew if I told him about Marcus's offer, as unrealistic as it might be, Edward would never accept my proposal. That was why I decided to tell a little white lie.

"Marcus is selling _Volturi's_ to the son of an old friend. He told me on Friday. He needs the money to move to Italy, and that Felix guy is buying the restaurant above market value. I'll have to look for a new job soon, and buying another restaurant is the last thing on my mind right now." I managed what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "The money is yours — if you want it. You can make me a silent partner, or we draw up an agreement about the terms of a loan, but we're married, Edward. We both decided this morning that we want a future together. To me, that means what's mine is yours. It would also be an investment for me." I paused, regarding my husband's astonished face, as I took a calming breath. "So, I want you to take the money to make your dream come true."

Edward searched my eyes for possible doubts, but apparently, didn't find any. Reluctantly, he met the stares of his friends who looked cautiously excited.

"It's your call, Edward. But Bella's reasoning does make sense," Seth stated.

Emmett commented next. "You have to make the final decision, Ed, but I agree with Seth. And if everything goes according to plan, Bella's investment will pay off — for all of us."

Nodding, Edward turned back to me with hesitation. "Okay. But we'll talk to your friends, Angela and Ben. They will set up everything the proper way so that you are financially safe and make the biggest possible profit."

I knew it was the reasonable thing to do, and I was happy Edward felt so protective of me, but I didn't care about security. We were married, and I considered it _our_ money instead of mine — and since it couldn't do me any good right now, there was no question he should make the best of it.

In an instant, Edward had thrown his arms around me, hugging me tight to him. "Thank you so much, Spice. I'll make sure you'll never regret it."

Emmett and Seth came over, thanking me with a quick hug of their own once my husband let go of me. Then we all toasted with another drink.

After I called Angela and set up a meeting with her and Ben for Wednesday morning, the rest of the afternoon was spent planning and strategizing the game's future.

****TtK****

That night, Edward thanked me again properly, and before we knew it, Monday morning had dawned. It was actually strange to be able to start our day the way we wanted without having to factor in an hour of filming. It was freeing, but in a way, I kind of missed Garrett and his team.

Edward had to leave for work a bit earlier than usual since he had to gather a couple hours overtime to come in late after our appointment on Wednesday.

As soon as he'd left, my phone chimed with a text message from Jacob.

 _ **Hey, Bells. I haven't heard from you in a few days. Are you still married or getting a divorce? You up for an early lunch? ~ Jake**_

 _ **Don't you think you'd know by now if I were getting a divorce? Sure I'm up for lunch. Where do you want to meet? ~ Bella**_

 _ **The diner two blocks from our place. Say 11:30? ~ Jake**_

 _ **OK. CU at 11:30. ~ Bella**_

****TtK****

When I walked into the little diner, Jake was already waiting for me at a table in the far corner. He jumped up and pulled me to him as soon as he spotted me, leading me back to where he'd been seated.

"Well, Mrs. Masen, tell me about your weekend. How was the party Friday night?" Unknowingly, Jake hit the bullseye with his hunger for news.

Taking a big sip from the Diet Coke he'd already ordered for me, I contemplated what to tell him, or rather, how to tell him, since there was no way I could keep Edward's deception from my best friend. So, I decided to suck it up and spill the truth.

"The party was nice — at first. I got along famously with Emmett's girlfriend and a friend of Edward's, Victoria. Then, however, I was left alone with Vicky's boyfriend, who's a total sleaze. He, um … he told me something about Edward." I sighed heavily, not wanting to relive the story again but knowing I had to tell Jake. "He claimed Edward only entered the show because of a bet and married me solely for the money, planning to get a divorce at the end. On top of that, he revealed that Edward and Vicky had been fuck-buddies for years and had celebrated his last night of freedom _together_."

I didn't dare look up at Jake, too afraid to find him boiling with rage. When I finally lifted my eyes from the table top, I was surprised to find merely the faintest bit of anger there, almost buried under a heap of curiosity.

All he said was, "And what did you do?"

Frowning, I continued my recount of Friday night. "I lied and told Jim I was in it for the money, too, then drank my weight in booze."

"Did you ask Edward if it was true?" Jake's voice was warm and sympathetic.

"I didn't. I needed to think." I went on to explain how Saturday played out for me, finishing with, "I had planned to demand a divorce in the morning, but when I saw him, I needed to … connect with him one last time. Internally, I had already said my goodbye when he completely stunned me by saying he loves me."

Jacob's low chuckle had me stop and stare at him. "A blind man can see how much that guy's in love with you. So you believed him?"

Flabbergasted, my mouth hung open. "You knew?"

His chuckles got louder.

"I believed him, yeah. It was … in his eyes. That sounds corny and stupid, but it's true."

Jake nodded. "And then you told him you loved him, too, and you two rode off into the sunset?"

"Not exactly." I stopped, but Jake's inquisitive gaze prompted me to continue. "Yesterday, we had to shoot the decision show, and while I was in makeup, Victoria called Edward to let him know what Jim did. Edward was so scared to lose me, that he went to the producer and the psychologist and told them about his lies. He thought by forfeiting the fifty grand on purpose, it would prove that he chooses me over the money. He was lucky they only refused him the cash and abstained from suing him for breach of contract."

Taking a sip of his iced tea, Jacob snorted. "I really do get his reasoning, but he went to such lengths to get that money. What will they do without it now? I thought they needed the fifty grand to get their game out there."

I swallowed, unsure how Jacob would take my investment news. "They do. That's why I offered them my money."

With my eyes averted and my lip between my teeth, I could feel Jake's stare on me.

"What the hell, Bella? Why in God's name did you do that? What if that game turns out to be a total disaster and isn't the success they project it to be? What about your money then? You _earned_ that money, Bella—why give it away!"

"Edward didn't want to take it at first. I did convince him, but he insists on writing up a bulletproof contract to protect me. We're going to see Ange and Ben on Wednesday."

I dared to carefully look up, and found Jake mulling over my words. "I see. I can't say I'm happy, but at least it's a good thing Marcus isn't going to retire any time soon. Maybe you'll make some money with that endeavor and be able to buy him out in a year or two."

And there was the one hold-up in my plan. I was convinced I wouldn't be able to buy the restaurant, but that didn't mean Jacob would see that, too. However, he knew me too well for me ever lie to him about anything as serious as my career. So, I swallowed once and confessed my secret about the restaurant.

"Shit, Bells! This is the worst timing ever. What did Edward say to this?"

"I wanted to tell him, but then the whole mess with Jim and the decision show started. Now I'm afraid that, if he finds out about Marcus, he'll decline my offer, even though it wouldn't change anything."

Jake wasn't happy with my reasoning, but after some pleading, he agreed not to tell Edward unless he was asked outright. After that, we switched to some lighter topics. Jacob told me about Mike's sister coming for a visit, and I shared some nice tidbits from Friday's party.

Before too long, it was time for me to leave for work, but I did so with a knot in my stomach, realizing I needed to come clean with Marcus.

****TtK****

After two weeks of the boss staying mostly at home, he'd been at the restaurant since opening time today. Secretly, I had hoped he'd come in later or not show up at all, so I'd get a bit more of a reprieve from having to decline his offer. However, I was out of luck.

Once the lunch hour rush was over, I plucked up the courage to knock on his office door and ask for a few minutes of his time.

" _Isabella_ , come in. You know I always have time for you. What's on your mind, _cara_?"

Reluctantly, I took a seat across from him and braced myself for what I had to say.

"Marcus, I wanted to thank you for your support and generosity in offering me the restaurant at a discount price." Swallowing dryly, I closed my eyes and said my piece. "You know I love _Volturi's_ , and would be so proud to call it my own. If this offer had come a year or two from now, I'd have jumped at the opportunity. But right now, I don't have the financial means to buy you out." Before he could try to convince me or even lower the price further, I continued. "On top of that, I just got married, and I want to have time with my husband to enjoy our new married life — more time than I'd have if I were self-employed. I'm so sorry, but I have to decline your offer. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me, for believing in me when I wasn't yet confident enough to do it myself. I truly loved working for you."

I felt tears prickling my eyes, but there was nothing I could do to change my answer.

Marcus's expression was somber and sad when he thought over what I'd told him.

" _Cara_ , I'm very unhappy to hear that. I would have loved to hand over the reins to you. I hope you understand why I can't wait the two years."

I managed a watery smile and placed my hand on his. "Absolutely, Marcus. You do what you have to do. I guess it's not supposed to happen for me right now. You and Renata deserve to be happy and healthy. Don't worry about me."

"I'm so sorry, _Isabella_. I'll talk to Felix tonight and let you know about his plans as soon as I know."

We shared an emotional hug, working hard not to let the tears fall and the sobs of disappointment escape, then I rushed out of Marcus's office to forget my sadness in my kitchen.

I wasn't even sure which was the harder blow: losing my job or having to say goodbye to Marcus, who was like a grandfather to me.

I took a deep, shuddering breath to collect myself. I'd just sealed my fate, knowing I'd be without a job in a few weeks, but at least I knew I'd always be coming home to the man I loved and who loved me.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Who's feeling sorry for Bella? I can assure you, I am. However, she probably wouldn't have gotten a loan anyway, so it made sense to give the money to Edward. He'll make sure she's protected, come what may. And what did you think about Jake's reaction? Were you surprised he didn't go off to punch Edward in the face? Apparently, he's seen through Edward for a while now.

Now, who wants a piece of what has given me such a hard time over the past few weeks? Here's a teaser for chapter 22:

… " _Or … I could knock you up, and you take a few years off to have my babies. There's no time like the present." I waggled my eyebrows, unable to hold back a chuckle upon seeing her wide-eyed, open-mouthed shock. …_

Dammit! Where did that come from? And did he mean it? How will Bella react? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

As for next chapter, I'm aiming for two weeks again, but we have a short family vacay in between, so I can't make any promises besides I'll update as soon as I can. Until then, take care.


	22. Chapter 22 - Life is a Highway

**A/N:** Hi guys. I'm back with chapter 22, and this time, I almost made it in two weeks ;).

I won't bore you with a long note here because I'm sure most of you want to know how the baby-talk ends. However, I can't let you read this chapter without mentioning the three wonderful ladies who sacrifice their time to make my writing worth reading. Thank you, **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** , and **LaPumuckl** for your invaluable help. A special thank you goes out to **NKubie** for her advice on the legal issues in this chapter. I couldn't have done it without her.

Now, let's find out about the loan, Bella's job, and most importantly, Edward's offer to knock up Bella ;). See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight or Married At First Sight …

******TtK******

Chapter 22 – Life is a Highway

~Edward~

On Wednesday morning, three days after Bella made her offer, I still wasn't feeling comfortable with the idea of taking her money to finance our game. Sure, she'd made a great argument, and I completely understood the guys' enthusiasm, but I didn't want Bella ever to feel taken advantage of — especially, by me. If I were to agree to her investing in our endeavor, I'd only do it if Bella were financially secure and wouldn't have a part in the business risk our project brought with it.

That was one reason I insisted on meeting with Angela and Ben— considering they were Bella's friends, I was sure they had her best interests at heart.

We took a taxi to the downtown law office and walked inside hand in hand to Angela's spacious office on the twentieth floor.

She and Ben were already waiting for us. Considering we were primarily there to get advice on the terms and conditions for the loan and Angela was a specialist in corporate law, I was surprised when I heard she wanted Ben there with her, seeing he specialized in intellectual property law. However, I trusted they knew what they were doing and was grateful they took the time to meet with us on rather short notice.

After a quick greeting and the usual small talk about what had happened since we last saw each other, Bella and I took the two seats in front of Angela's desk while she and Ben sat behind it.

"Could you tell us again briefly what you're planning to do and what exactly it is you need our help with?" Angela kicked off the official part of the meeting.

Bella and I shared a tense look, then I confessed my sins once again. "Well, long story short, I won't be getting my financial compensation for participating in the show because I broke the rules. My reasons for entering the show were dishonest. That changed over the past six weeks, and before the end, I felt the need to come clean. However, we still need that money to get our game out there." I paused, for a moment, because I wasn't comfortable with the next part. "Bella's still getting her fifty grand, and she offered to give us the money to finance our venture, but I won't take it unless she's totally protected. That's where you two come in."

Angela nodded silently, scribbling down a few things on her notepad. "Okay, assuming you signed the same contract Bella did, I'm sorry to say the network withholding your compensation is justified. I revised that contract before Bella signed it, and there are no legal grounds for you to sue them. In fact, you're lucky if you won't be sued yourself."

I interrupted her, explaining about the solution Demetri came up with and the NDA they had me sign. Again, Angela wrote something down, then met my gaze.

"That's fortunate. If you like, Ben or I will take a look at that agreement to check if it's safe, but I'm sure it's going to be as well worked out as the original contract and the prenup."

Right there, she reminded me of something I felt the need to discuss, or hopefully, tear up, but that was a problem for another day. For now, we had other fish to fry.

"Yeah, I'd like that. They promised to send it over to me by the end of the week."

"Great," Angela replied. "Then let's move on to the matter at hand. There are several ways Bella's investment can be set up legally. First, we can make it a simple loan. She can either loan the money to you personally or to you and your partners. The difference here is, if she loans it to you alone, you alone are responsible for paying her back. If, on the other hand, Bella loaned the money to your company in turn, all three of you would be equally responsible for paying her back. You can make her loan a priority as a creditor, so, if the business fails, she'd be the first one to be paid back. These possibilities all come with a fixed interest rate, and whatever you choose, with a fixed or flexible schedule for installments."

From the possibilities mentioned, I felt the option with the least amount of risk for Bella was the loan to the company.

"Now, those were the options for loans. We still have the possibility to make Bella a partner in your business. She could be either simply an investor or a partner — silent or otherwise. If she were a partner, your company would share the achieved turnover with her, which means the possibility of higher monetary gain. At the same time, if the business doesn't succeed financially, she'll lose her investment."

I wanted Bella to make money if she lent us her fifty grand, but at the same time, I wanted her as secure as possible.

"Which scenario would you advise Bella to agree to?" I asked, knowing Bella didn't care as much for her own safety as I did.

Angela stared at Bella with slightly narrowed eyes, then looked at me again. "No offense, but the way I see it, the software market is a gamble. Video games are a dime a dozen, and chances are you won't make any money, or at least not as much as you forecast. So, if Bella had a share in the winnings, and there's no winning to speak of, she loses her investment. To make it a loan is the safe way to go. And out of the two options we have there, it's easier and securer for everyone involved if she loans the money to the company. That would be my advice."

I didn't need to think about it. "Then that's what we're going to do. Can you draw up a contract for that?"

For the first time during the official part of our meeting, Ben spoke up. "We can, and we will, but there are a few other things that need to be decided first."

I knew there were several legal issues that needed to be taken care of, and if they offered to bring in their expertise, I'd gladly take it. "What matter do we start with?"

"The first thing you have to take care of is deciding on a legal form in which you want to set up your company, then you have to get registered. Only after that is done can we draw up the contract for the loan."

For the next ten minutes, Angela informed me of the pros and cons of all the possible corporate structures, narrowing it down to two that were actually viable for our needs. She handed me a short summary of facts about _limited liability companies_ and _s corps_ to share with the guys while suggesting we best go with the _LLC_.

After that, she pointed out the present interest rate for business loans, explaining we still had the opportunity to add a stipulation about Bella getting a higher interest rate if our company realized a profit above a certain, previously determined amount, and therefore to include her in the business's success.

When she was done with that, Ben took over, advising us to register our game to protect our intellectual property, and he also repeated the most important points of our conversation at Jake and Mike's party.

Around eleven, we were done, and we left, having scheduled another appointment for the next week for the guys and me to set up our company.

****TtK****

Friday night, I was surprised to find Bella sitting on the couch with a box of Kleenex in her lap and a glass indecently full of red wine on the table in front of her. It was only ten p.m., and her shift wasn't supposed to end until eleven that night.

Immediately, I was alarmed, even before she looked up and her red, blotchy eyes met mine. Throwing my jacket to the ground, I rushed over, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her into my chest.

"What's going on, baby?" I cooed, trying to ease her apparent pain while stroking up and down her back.

She sniffled a few times before whispering, "Marcus gave me four weeks' notice today. I mean, it's not as though I hadn't expected it — he'd already told me Felix was a chef himself and he wouldn't need me." Bella paused and sighed heavily. " I know he haggled with Felix to make it four weeks instead of the usual two, but it's finally official. I'll have to leave _Volturi's_."

Bella's sobs were heartbreaking to listen to, and all I could do was hold her and rock her gently. It was the worst timing to see her dream shattered just as mine was ready for take-off.

"I'm so sorry, Spice. I wish I could do something to make it better." But I couldn't.

Bella pulled away and reached for her wine glass. "This is going to make it better, at least for now." With that, she downed half of her glass in one go. "I know you're supposed to get drunk on cheap wine, but we only had this 2010 Valpolicella. If I drink enough, it should do the trick anyway."

I didn't know what to say, and I didn't begrudge her, her buzz. If losing her dream and her job, all at the same time, wasn't reason enough to drink herself into a stupor, then what was?

To even the playing field a bit, I stood up and got myself a beer. Upon my return, Bella smiled a weak smile, clinking her glass to my bottle.

"To new beginnings," I toasted encouragingly.

"Yeah, to the success of your game and a new job for me. I guess I'll have to start looking tomorrow."

She took another sip of wine, and totally unrelated, I had an idea.

"Or … I could knock you up, and you could take a few years off to have my babies. There's no time like the present." I waggled my eyebrows, unable to hold back a chuckle upon seeing her wide-eyed, open-mouthed shock.

To be honest, I was only partly joking. Before I'd met Spice, I'd never seen myself as a dad, and even now, it had only been a flash of inspiration to cheer her up, but all of a sudden, my brain conjured up very vivid images of a glowing, pregnant Bella, a little boy running around with a kite, a sweet baby girl with dark curls …

My stunned wife gulping down the rest of her wine brought me out of my fantasy and back to a reality where that dream was probably a few years off, at the least. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand in a rather unsexy gesture, before meeting my eyes again.

"Um, I don't think we're quite there yet." Bella's rattled expression had me laughing out loud despite the little pang of disappointment I felt. How could it be I'd never considered having a family, and now, all of a sudden, I wanted it so badly it hurt?

I willed myself to shake it off, and instead, I leaned over, painting a predatory look on my face. Bella's eyes widened again, this time with surprise, then she bent backwards. I followed until I was propped up on my hands that were caging Spice between them, forcing her onto her back so I could hover over her.

"I'll be damned if we don't have a hell of a time practicing, though." With that, I attacked her neck with my lips.

****TtK****

While Angela drew up contracts for the foundation of _CMM Programming, LLC_ (Clearwater-Masen-McCarty Programming) as well as the loan Bella was providing to said company, we'd started to set up a definite timeline for getting _Wally's Wonderland_ out there.

The money from the show had been deposited into Bella's bank account the Friday after the decision show. I did some research on current interest rates for small business loans, and with Angela and Ben's approval, the guys and I agreed to borrow Bella's fifty grand for a fixed rate of five percent per annum, plus a ten percent share in the profits we'd gain until year end when the loan would be paid back.

We wouldn't actually be able to advertise our game anywhere until we had the money at our disposal, but we'd started contacting several bloggers and YouTubers to get them interested in testing _Wally's Wonderland_ and hopefully reviewing it on their platforms.

We were busy, and met almost every night to strategize, but I usually managed to be home when Bella arrived or pick her up from work when her shift ended. We spent our evenings curled up on the couch, wrapped up in each other, or even, once or twice, had a bubble bath in our much-too-small tub. We were completely blissful, even though life around us was crazy.

Marcus was preparing for his move to Italy, and while the final contract hadn't been signed yet, Felix was gradually taking over the reins at _Volturi's_. Bella insisted he wasn't a bad guy, and from what I'd seen the two times I'd met him, he really wasn't. He just had a very different vision of what he wanted his restaurant to be. I was sure, even if he had offered Bella to stay and continue to run the kitchen, she wouldn't have been happy there. Two weeks after she got her notice, Marcus ultimately handed over the restaurant to Felix, and he and Bella shared a tearful goodbye, with him asking her to stay in touch and insisting we visit him and Renata soon for a vacation.

****TtK****

The following Thursday, I was waiting for Spice on the couch, two bottles of beer on the table in front of me. She was returning from a job interview, that also included a cooking test, at some fancy uptown restaurant, and I was nervous to hear about the outcome. I knew it wasn't her dream job, but she'd been to ten interviews and had sent out twice as many applications without any responses.

It was already past eleven when I heard her key in the door. When she entered, her expression didn't give much away. She was neither happy nor did she appear to be disappointed.

"Hey, Spice," I greeted her as I got up and met her half way to the couch. Releasing her after a kiss and hug, I asked, "How did it go?"

Her eyes met mine as she tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. "They offered me a job," she replied hesitantly.

Apparently, she wasn't over the moon, but she sure wouldn't have applied if she didn't want the job. "Sous-chef isn't too bad, right?"

"They didn't offer me the sous-chef position. As it turns out, my experience with _Haute Cuisine_ isn't extensive enough to stand in for a head chef. However, they were looking to fill the position of a line-cook, so that's what they offered me."

I didn't have the first idea about what went on in a professional kitchen, but from Bella's stories, I knew enough to understand that suggesting a graduate of the culinary school she'd attended, who had six years experience as a sous- as well as head-chef, work as anything other than second in command amounted to an insult.

"Line-cook?" I asked, incredulous. "You told them where they could stuff it, right?"

When she averted her eyes and started to fidget, I took a step back and folded my arms across my chest, waiting for her to reply.

Speaking to the wall behind me, she said, "I told them I needed to sleep on it and would get back to them tomorrow."

I couldn't believe my ears were working correctly. "Baby, why the hell would you do that? You're so much better than that. And you don't even like the restaurant."

"Edward, I have only three more days at _Volturi's_ , then I'm out of a job. I've been sending out my resumé for close to four weeks now, and this is the only offer I've gotten. I can't afford to be unemployed." She looked genuinely unhappy but irritated at the same time.

Feeling sorry for the way I reacted, I took her hand in mine and led her over to the couch. There, I handed her the beer, and after watching her take a hearty sip, I continued.

"Spice, I know you want to work, and that's great, but I'd rather you be unemployed for a while than see you take a job you don't actually want. My salary isn't that bad. I can comfortably support the both of us for a few months."

She looked at me with a torn smile. "I appreciate your concern, and I believe your pay is just fine, but I want to contribute. I can't be a housewife and do nothing, not even for a month or two. And none of the other restaurants even asked me to do a preliminary cooking test."

I could see her point. However, I also remembered what she once told me about French cuisine. "But, baby, you hate French restaurants. If it were an Italian place —"

She cut me off with a huff. "Most Italian restaurants are family-operated. They don't need an outsider as head chef who's not even Italian. They either cook themselves or look for someone who's preferably been born in Europe. I can't offer either. Holding out to find a job at one of those places would be stupid." She paused for a moment, taking another sip. "And I don't _hate_ French cuisine, I just don't love it. I need a job, and they're offering one. I'll take it and see how it goes. I'll keep my eyes open, and if there's another opportunity, I can easily quit."

I knew there wasn't anything I could say that would change her mind, so I reminded her again that I'd support her in whatever she decided to do, and after that, we got ready for bed.

****TtK****

Early in October, four weeks after _Tie the Knot_ ended, all the papers were signed, and the money had been credited to our new business account. The five bloggers we'd talked to had all given rave reviews of _Wally's Wonderland_ , and we were surprised to find ourselves buried in email, asking us where and when they could get the game.

Bella had accepted the offer from _Chez Jacques_ and had started the day after her employment with _Volturi's_ ended. Unlike her old place of work in Little Italy where lunchtime was just as important as the night service, the new restaurant had most of its business after seven at night, meaning her work hours had gotten much less compatible with mine. That meant that quite often, her shifts ended past midnight.

With that new schedule, I was mostly fast asleep when she got home, and in turn, she was still deep in slumber when I got up for my day job. The situation was far from perfect, but we somehow made it work by Bella joining me for my lunch break or me coming to the restaurant to share her break with her. Our sex life suffered the worst, but we did our best to make up for lost time whenever she had a night off or I was home in the mornings.

It all would have been fine, had her new boss not been a vain asshole who thought the sun rose and set with him. Not one day went by without him pointing out how inferior and simple Italian food was compared to the culinary works of art he created every night. So, not only was she overqualified for her job, but also humiliated for her former choice of occupation and willingness to defend it.

We got the one-month follow-up for _Tie the Knot_ over with without much ado, stating we were still happy and going strong. We alluded to a few changes in our professional lives but, as per usual, kept the details to ourselves. The network was satisfied with our performance, and we parted ways with the reminder we'd be seeing each other again in five months.

We'd finally set the date for _Wally's Wonderland's_ official launch for October 29 when it would become available on several downloading platforms as well as app stores. On top of that, people could order it on DVD or Blu-ray from us directly.

To celebrate the event with the people close to us, and who had supported us, we'd invited about forty people to a launch party. We reserved a private room at a club we frequented, booking catering, and an open bar for our guests.

Everything was coming along fine when, the night before the party, Bella came home upset. Several times, she opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again, pressing her lips together in a tight line.

"What's going on, baby," I asked, crouching down so I was eye level with her.

Huffing, she held my gaze when she spat out, "Chef François changed my schedule. I'll have to work tomorrow night!"

 _Chef François_ — whose real name was actually Frank Kowalski — had messed with my Spice one too many times. "Did you tell him you had plans?"

"Sure." She laughed humorlessly. "He just chuckled evilly and told me to change them or pack my things and leave."

 _Asshole!_ It wasn't the first change he'd sprung on her with less than twenty-four hours' notice, but it was the first time she'd tried to get out of it. She wasn't one to shrug off her responsibilities. I knew I couldn't expect her to risk her job, so gritting my teeth to not make her see how much it hurt, I accepted I'd have to celebrate my accomplishment without my wife there.

****TtK****

The next day, I found myself at the party, not feeling like celebrating at all. I didn't have enough fingers to count the people who'd asked me where my new wife was, some of them even insinuating we were already getting a divorce. At least the guys and Rose, as well as Bella's friends, who'd also been invited, knew if it weren't for a higher power keeping her away, she'd be by my side for sure.

It was an informal affair, so I was glad I didn't have to stay sober when I didn't even want to be there in the first place.

I'd clinked my glass with every one of our guests, toasted to several well wishes, and drank with Jake and Mike, Tanya, Jessica and her newest boyfriend, Angela and Ben and several others. I'd also sampled the food when I felt I needed some space. I had a great excuse when the bar in our private room was currently unmanned.

Escaping to the main part of the club, I made my way to the bar, ordering a vodka shot when I spotted a familiar head of red hair at the far end of the counter. I knocked back my drink, then pushed through throngs of people to tap on the shoulder of my former friend with benefits.

Even though I was more than curious about why she'd told Jim my secret, I hadn't spoken to her since that fateful day at the hotel, and she hadn't been invited to our party out of respect for Bella. She insisted she didn't mind me being friends with Vic, but I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable; all the more if she couldn't attend herself.

It was pure coincidence Vicky was here as well, but now that she was, I took the opportunity to ask her what I needed to know.

She looked shocked at first when she turned around, realizing it was me behind her. Then she smiled sadly, unsure how to greet me, our usual hug suddenly feeling inappropriate.

"Hey, Vic. Can we talk somewhere?" I asked. She nodded, gesturing to her companions, then followed me to the hallway that led to the bathrooms.

As soon as I stopped, she started to apologize again. "Edward, I'm so sorry. I didn't —"

But I cut her off by lifting my hand. "I believe you. But please, Vic, tell me why?"

She actually had tears in her eyes when she explained. "A week before Emmett's birthday, Jim was at my apartment for the first time. I went to the bathroom, and when I returned, he was standing in my living room, staring at the picture from last New Year's Eve. You know, the one with Em and Rose where you're kissing my cheek. He got all jealous, demanding to know who you were and why your picture was on my wall. I told him about our past and insisted it was over because you were married. He let it go then, and we had a wonderful evening." Nervously, she looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"A few days later, though, he started again, questioning when we'd been together the last time. I'm so sorry, Edward, but I thought I was in love with him and didn't want to lie. He was put off when he heard we'd been together so close to your wedding and he called my morals into question. I felt the need to defend myself and you, by telling him about the reasons for your wedding and the details about it all. Never in the world would I have thought he'd use it against you and me."

She swallowed, staring into my eyes to determine if I believed her. "When we left Emmett's, he was so drunk I went to my place and sent him home to his own apartment. I didn't hear from him that Saturday, but Sunday morning, he showed up at my door, asking me if I'd already heard about you guys getting a divorce. He bragged about how he broke you two up and that you deserved it, that you'd had it coming for years. I stopped his rant to ask a few questions, and apparently, he knew you in college, said you went to the same parties, and he insisted you picked up a girl he'd had his eyes on for months. I'm so sorry. If only I'd known. I promise, I kicked him to the curb and never heard from him again."

I had no idea what girl she was talking about, and even though I hadn't been a man-whore there were a few I'd been with in college, and it wasn't impossible other guys also had their sights on them. To go back and destroy a marriage over something as petty as some frat girl was sick, though. All that aside, I could understand why Vic told him everything. If Bella had falsely accused me of what Jim had accused Vicky of, I'd have taken a chance and told her the truth, as well.

"It's okay, Vic. Bella and I didn't get a divorce. She believed me when I told her the truth and assured her that I love her. We got over it and are still happily together." I smiled at her, suppressing the thought of how wrong it could all have gone.

Despite her earlier reluctance, she threw herself at me, hugging me with congratulations. "I'm so happy for you." Pulling back, she peered behind me as though she were looking for something or someone. "Where is Bella then?"

I was reminded of how I had to celebrate this milestone in my life without my wife. "It's a long story, but the short version is, she'd love to be here, but she has to work tonight."

Vicky looked sad but patted my arm in consolation. "I'm sure she would. Please, tell her I'm sorry, too, and that I can understand if she doesn't want to see me around you anymore."

"No, Vic, she's fine with our friendship, as long as it's only that."

Vicky giggled. "As if I'd ever been interested in your mediocre mind." With a wink and the promise to talk again soon, she said goodbye and returned to her friends at the bar.

****TtK****

I'd hoped for Bella to show up around midnight, but apparently, Frank, the asshole, was on a roll, and it was past two when she hurried into the private room, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved top. She wasn't done up in any way and looked as tired as I felt after an evening of pretending everything was fine and I was happy.

She made a quick round with all our friends, then linked our fingers together, and we took a cab home, falling into bed in exhaustion.

****TtK****

Two weeks later, Bella got fired because she defended a new cook who Chef François falsely accused of ruining a whole delivery of highly expensive venison when she'd witnessed him doing it himself. All the sacrifices she'd made over the past four weeks were for nothing. He claimed he couldn't work with someone as disloyal and insubordinate as her, and since she was still on probation, she was asked to pack her stuff and leave immediately.

I was glad she wouldn't be subjected to her boss's bullying anymore, but professionally, she was right back to square one, which made her sad and incredibly frustrated. I reminded her, however, that at least, we'd have more time for each other again … then I carried her to our bedroom and did some catching up with my wife.

********TtK*********

 **A/N:** Awww, who's sad there won't be a baby? Okay, I'm a bit sad, too, but I think they have a few things to sort out for themselves and about their careers before they're ready to start a family.

What did you think about Chef François? What an asshole, right? And could Vicky redeem herself? She didn't want to rat Edward out. She thought she was in love and got screwed over. I actually feel sorry for her.

Now, what's next? You want a sneak peek? Here you go:

… _He sighed, then pulled me close. "I need to go back to New York, baby." I could tell saying goodbye was hard for him, too, but he was being the strong one for my sake. "You'll be back home before you know it." …_

Oh no! What's that supposed to mean? I promise no more angst, just a little bit of drama before the big HEA. So, what do you think happened? Where are they, and why is Bella staying if Edward has to leave? Tell me here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

Of course, I'm aiming for an update in about two weeks. If nothing major happens, I'm quite confident I'll make that deadline. Until then, take care.


	23. Chapter 23 - Sacrifices

**A/N:** Hey there! Again, I almost made it in two weeks. I'm having a hard time bringing this story to a close, but more about that at the bottom.

I won't make you wait much longer. I just need you to know that I'd be nothing without the help of **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl**. They turn my rambling into the story you all enjoy to read.

Now, let's see what that teaser was about. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Twilight_ or _Married at First Sight_ …

******TtK******

Chapter 23 - Sacrifices

~Bella~

Professionally speaking, the ten weeks after _Tie the Knot_ ended was one disaster after another. Losing _Volturi's_ was unavoidable, and funding Edward's dream was the most rewarding thing I'd ever done, but my professional life was one giant mess.

The weeks I worked with Felix were … strenuous, to say the least. Outside work, he was a nice and charismatic guy, but as soon as he entered the kitchen, there was undeniable tension between us. Not because we didn't like or respect each other. The problem was that we had completely different opinions on how a kitchen should be operated and which direction _Volturi's_ — or, as it was now renamed, _GUSTO!_ — should take.

The staff was used to working under my direction, which was direct and purposeful but gentle, and everyone had a hard time finding a balance between obeying the new, stricter rules and working the way they had for years.

I was in a really bad place those three weeks: impatient to get the hell out of there, and at the same time, sad I had to go and leave my dream behind. If that wasn't enough, it was difficult for me to find new employment. Even though I'd come to love cooking Italian, I knew finding a job at an Italian restaurant would be tough due to many of them being family-run.

What I hadn't expected was Edward's … _offer_ to get me pregnant so I wouldn't have to worry about work for a few months. Of course, it was all in good humor to cheer me up, but for a second, while he suggested it, his eyes lit up with warmth and a strange excitement. I would be lying if I said I didn't consider it at all. I'd always wanted children, but in that moment, for the first time in my life, it became a real possibility. However, my rational mind won over my heart's sudden desire, and I declined his offer — for now. It was definitely a plan for the future.

Two weeks after getting my notice, I'd sent out thirty applications and had gone to ten interviews, and apart from a phone call from a pretentious French restaurant, inviting me to come in for a preliminary cooking test, I'd gotten no response at all.

The cooking test went well, and they offered me a job — just not the one I'd applied for. Their head chef, Chef François, was arrogant and uptight, and after reviewing my resumé, he wouldn't stop trashing Italian food. He had a difficult time holding back his smirk when the restaurant manager explained that, even though my diploma from culinary school was impressive, my experience with high-end French cuisine left a lot to be desired. However, they recognized my skills, and while they couldn't offer me the position as sous-chef, they were happy to have me sign on as a new line-cook.

That was a low blow. After all, I'd worked as a sous-chef at another restaurant for two years, and after that, practically run _Volturi's_ for just as long. But there was no other alternative. My employment with Felix ended a couple days later, and anything was better than being without a job. Edward did his best to convince me to continue looking until I found the right restaurant for me, but I couldn't agree.

Had I known Chef François would turn out to be volatile, catty, and simply mean, I might have changed my mind. During the six weeks I worked under him, not one day went by without him bullying someone — and I was his favorite target. My days off were switched around from one day to the next, never coinciding with a weekend, my breaks were regularly postponed, and what was the worst, I couldn't attend the boys' launch party.

My new schedule meant working longer hours, very often deep into the night, so the only times I could spend with my husband were my nights off and the weekend mornings. I could have managed all of that, but not being able to stand next to Edward on his big day, had my heart breaking. I tried to get out of work, only earning myself a sneer and the suggestion to quit. Edward tried not to let on how disappointed he was, but I knew him well enough to see it anyway.

Obedient employee that I was, I worked through the whole night, not complaining when the asshole made me stay overtime. However, two weeks later, when he screamed red-faced at a girl for ruining something he actually fucked up, I couldn't hold back and came to her rescue. As the result, I was let go instantly.

That was two weeks ago. Again, I sent out twenty applications, without success so far.

I was almost done setting the table for a three-course meal I'd prepared for Edward and me when my phone rang.

I wasn't surprised to see my step-mom's number on the screen. Even though my dad had sort of cut off contact after I'd told him I was getting married, Sue and I had talked a few times. She assured me Charlie would eventually come around, even more so now that it seemed as though my marriage to Edward was going to last, no matter how it started.

For a moment, I internally debated letting it go to voicemail, but decided I had a bit of time until Edward came home, so I hit "Accept."

"Hi, Sue," I greeted, clamping my phone between my ear and shoulder so I had both hands to stir the sauce.

"Hey, Bella. How are things going? How's the new job?" she cheered into the phone.

I had no idea how she did it, but unerringly, she always hit the bullseye. I deliberated lying, or at least, embellishing the truth, but what was the point? She'd eventually find out anyway.

"I'm fine. The job, well, that didn't work out so well. I'm currently looking for a better fit. Edward's game is going great so far, though." I didn't want her to dwell on my misery, and instead, redirected her focus on the good things.

I could hear her smile through the phone when she replied, "That's great, honey. I'm glad you two are doing fine. When will the show start to air?"

The producers had told us the show wouldn't be on TV until they had the six-month follow-up show taped, and there was no definite date set for the premier. "I don't know exactly, but it will probably start in the spring. I'll let you know once we're told the date."

After that, there was a lull in conversation. I fumbled around with some utensils and stirred the sauce again, then asked quietly, "How's Dad?"

"He misses you, Bella," she responded in a low but sincere voice. "I can feel he wants to talk to you. He just doesn't know how to do it with the way things are between you two right now."

I hummed and stayed silent, not knowing what to reply. I didn't need to say anything, though, because Sue continued.

"That brings me to the actual reason for my call. Have you thought anymore about Thanksgiving? Now that you're not working, maybe you could come out for a couple days."

Every time we'd talked over the past two months, she'd asked me about Thanksgiving. At first, I told her it was too early for Edward and me to take a trip like that, then that he was busy, and most recently, I'd claimed my new job wouldn't allow me to take off enough time to fly out to Washington. To be honest, I didn't want to go because of the strain between my dad and me. However, I had no excuse now.

"I don't know, Sue. It's only a week from now. And I'm not sure Charlie even wants to see me."

Sue sounded sad when she insisted, "Oh honey, he does. He's just too stubborn to pick up the phone and call you. Please, think about it."

After a long pause, I assured her I'd discuss it with Edward, because if I flew out, it would only be with him by my side.

"That's all I wanted to hear," she said hopefully.

Right then, I heard Edward's key in the door. "Okay, Sue, I gotta go. I'll let you know."

With that, I hung up to greet my husband.

****TtK****

"Dammit! This is so good!" Edward mumbled with his mouth full of food.

Not knowing what to do with myself, I'd spent the day planning a special meal for the two of us. I knew he was more of a burger-and-fries guy, but I still wanted to do something special for him.

When he'd come home, he'd raved how great the game sales were going. Download numbers on the various platforms were exceeding expectations, and they had already ordered a second shipment of DVDs, as well. On top of that, Wally and his Wonderland were generating a buzz throughout the gaming community.

When he had finished his entree and was done telling me about his day, he asked me what was going on with me. Sadly, I didn't have anything to share apart from my cleaning the apartment — again —sending out more job applications — also again — and my phone call with Sue.

"Baby, do you want to go?" Edward inquired when I was finished.

I furrowed my brow, not sure how to reply. "I don't know. I want you to meet my dad, but I have no idea how he'll react. You know he hasn't talked to me since our wedding. And I guess you can't take time off now anyway."

"Spice, if you want to go, we'll go. I have some vacation days left, so we could make the trip." He placed his hand on mine reassuringly.

"But what about the game? Don't you need to be here in New York?" I asked, unsure.

Edward shook his head, smiling. "One of us has to be here to handle orders, but if necessary, everything else can be done from anywhere around the world that has internet. So, don't worry about that."

I contemplated for a minute before deciding. "Then let's take a trip to Washington."

****TtK****

A week later, we were on our way from Seattle to Forks in a rental car. Sue had been over-the-moon excited when I called her to accept her invitation the day after she extended it. Finding available flights that close to the holiday wasn't easy, but Edward told me to leave it to him to make arrangements, and I didn't dare ask how he did it and what it had cost.

Regardless, I hadn't seen my dad and Sue in almost a year, and I was happy to be home for a few days. At the same time, I was nervous to face my father with the way things had been between us over the past four months.

The whole drive, Edward tried to reassure me everything would be okay, but the knot in my stomach just wouldn't ease up. I felt close to vomiting when we passed the "Welcome to Forks" sign, and when my dad's little white house came into view, I felt tears prickling my eyes. The police cruiser was nowhere in sight, so I told Edward to pull into the driveway.

He hadn't even killed the engine when Sue rushed out the door and approached us with her arms wide open, a blissful smile on her face. I hurried to open the car door and throw myself into my step-mom's embrace.

"Oh, Bella! I'm so glad to see you. I can't believe it's almost been a year." She pulled away slightly, eyeing me from head to toe. "You look great, honey."

"I'm happy to be here, too." In my peripheral vision, I noticed Edward walking toward us. Turning to him, I grabbed his hand, then made introductions. "Sue, this is Edward, my husband. Edward, my step-mom, Sue."

Her eyes widened, and she almost gasped. "Oh, my God! He's even more gorgeous in person than he is in your wedding pictures." Blushing at her forwardness, she stretched out her arms to hug him hello, as well.

"I'm, ah, glad to finally meet you, Mrs. Swan." Edward was clearly embarrassed by Sue's gawking.

Waving him off, she replied, "Call me Sue. Mrs. Swan was my mother-in-law, may she rest in peace. Now, come on in, you two. It looks as if it's going to rain soon."

We followed her into the house I grew up in, and I tried to see it with Edward's eyes. Judging from the three times I'd been to his parents' house, I could say they weren't overly rich. Yet, their style of furniture and decorations was a lot more modern and luxurious than the simple homey décor my parents were content with in their home.

Sue showed us around, pointing out the few changes they'd made since my last visit, and ended up helping us carry our luggage up to my old room. I was glad, for once, that, although I hadn't lived there in eight years, I'd redecorated a time or two in the meantime, so Edward wouldn't have to sleep beneath posters that lined the walls during my teenage years. But even more than that, I was glad I'd insisted on getting a full size bed after my old twin one broke when I was seventeen.

Once we settled in, Sue sat us down in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and some freshly baked cookies. She asked a million and one questions about Edward's job, his parents, and the video game.

He was describing in detail how they came up with the idea of Wally, when I heard tires on the gravel outside. My palms got clammy and I started to fidget as footsteps came closer to the house and the front door opened noisily.

"Sue, what's that rental car doing in our driveway? Do we have —" He stopped talking immediately when he turned the corner, finding us sitting around his table.

Realizing he had no idea we were coming, I jumped up from my seat, not sure if I should back away or move forward to hug him.

Apparently, he didn't know what to do either, because he remained rooted in his spot. Looking from one of us to the next, he muttered, "Bella? You're here?"

I attempted a smile that felt more like a grimace when I replied, "Hi, Dad. We came for Thanksgiving."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Edward. "We?"

Walking the couple steps over to where Edward sat, I pulled him up, and instantly, he wrapped his arm around my waist in support. "Dad, this is my husband, Edward Masen."

Charlie seemed to be torn. He was naturally skeptical of the stranger who had married his daughter, and he'd expected our marriage to come crashing down soon. On the other hand, he was obviously surprised Edward had come with me and realized that meant we were much more solid than he'd imagined possible.

All that was visible in his expression when he neared us hesitantly, reaching out his hand. "Edward, I'm glad to finally meet the man who married my only daughter without knowing her."

I had to keep from rolling my eyes at his poor attempt to intimidate my husband. But Edward wasn't deterred. Shaking the offered hand, he replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Chief Swan. Bella speaks very highly of you."

With a regretful smile on his face, my dad's gaze shifted to me. "Do you now?"

"Sure, Dad—" Whatever else I was going to say was cut off and muffled by his shirt as he pulled me into his chest tightly, holding onto me, surrounding me with his unique dad-scent.

And all of a sudden, everything in my world was right again.

****TtK****

"Your dad really loves you," Edward whispered as he held me in his arms that night.

He'd made the solemn vow not to defile me under my father's roof — his words, not mine. I'd told him repeatedly that, while the notion was honorable, we were two adults and married, and not even my dad could keep us from doing whatever we wanted. However, he'd gently but decidedly turned down my advances when I'd tried to seduce him earlier. So, instead, we were cuddling together in bed. To be honest, I couldn't complain.

The evening had gone fairly well. I'd expected my dad to try to get Edward alone to instill the fear of God in him if he ever made me unhappy. It didn't happen, though. After dinner, we made our way into the living room, where he gave Edward the third degree, albeit half-heartedly.

"I know he does. I was just very sad he thought he couldn't talk to me after I made a decision he didn't agree with." I shifted around a bit so I was in a more comfortable position.

It took a moment of silence for Edward to contemplate a reply. "I think he felt he couldn't witness the train wreck he was sure our marriage would be, and he was waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces once you came running home, brokenhearted and crying."

"Maybe. I'm just glad he accepted you so easily, now that you came here to give him the chance to meet you."

Edward snorted, and I propped myself up on my elbows to be able to look down on his face. "What was that?"

"You think making me call him _Chief Swan_ and writing down my social security number, my parents' names and dates of birth, and asking about my bank accounts is accepting me easily?" His chuckles were more amused than annoyed, thank God.

I giggled along. "It actually is. If he hadn't accepted you, he'd have taken you on a cruise in the back of his squad car, shown you the holding cell at the station, and cleaned his guns in front of you. Most importantly, you'd be sleeping on the couch right now. So, I'd say you got off pretty lightly."

Snorting again, he replied, "If you put it like that, I guess you're right."

I pecked him on the lips, then turned my back to him so he could spoon me, which he did immediately.

Sniffing my hair and kissing the top of my head, he whispered, "Good night, Spice. I love you."

****TtK****

Thanksgiving Day was spent with Sue and me cooking up a storm while the men lounged around, watching sports on the flat screen. Even though Edward wasn't much into sports, he didn't mind keeping Charlie company.

Shortly before dinner was ready, Billy, Jake's dad and Charlie's best friend, arrived, along with Sue's sister and her husband. The mood was light, and after I clued Billy in on the goings-on in Jake's life, his dad and Charlie had fun recounting stories about Jake's and my childhood days. Edward appeared to absorb every one of the tales, laughing and sharing loving glances with me.

Everyone accepted Edward as my husband, and more than once did someone or other tell me it was obvious we were so in love.

That night, again, my husband refused to make love to me, despite doing my best to change his mind. However, I did get to fall asleep in his arms.

****TtK****

The next morning, I took Edward on a tour around town, showing him the playground I went to as a kid, my old high school, and my favorite bookstore. We ended at the only diner in town, where I was treated like a long-lost daughter when I entered ahead of my husband.

"Bella, sweetheart," Mrs. Cope, the owner and cook, almost squealed when she spotted me through the small ordering window behind the counter. She came hurrying out of the kitchen, wrapping me in a grandmotherly hug. "I can't believe you're home. How have you been? How's the Big Apple? And who's that Adonis grinning at us?"

I turned around, beckoning Edward to come closer. "Mrs. Cope, this is my husband, Edward Masen. Edward, Shelly Cope. She's the heart and soul of Forks."

"Oh, sweetie, you're married? That's wonderful. Come. Take a seat. I'll make you your favorite French toast." Smiling widely, she turned to address Edward. "And you, young man, what can I make for you?"

Looking a little sheepish, he scratched the back of his neck. "Um, pancakes would be great. Thanks."

"Pancakes it is, then. Now, sit down. We'll catch up once I have your breakfast ready."

We did as she asked, taking a booth close to the counter so we could watch Mrs. Cope whirl around in the kitchen.

"That's a vivacious little lady." Edward chuckled as he took off his jacket.

"She sure is. And she's the sweetest. I worked here during high school. The way she runs this kitchen has always been an inspiration to me."

That was when the waitress came to our table. "Hi, Bella. How have you been?"

"Chelsea, hi. I haven't seen you in forever. Let me introduce you to my husband, Edward." He waved a friendly hello, and she smiled at him.

Chelsea was ten years older than me, and she had been working at the diner for almost twenty years. She was nice and fun, and I'd enjoyed working with her back in the day. She was one of the few people I truly missed when I left Forks.

"Wow! You got married. Congrats."

I was about to ask her how her husband and kids were doing when we heard a blood-curdling scream from the kitchen, followed by a loud thud and the sound of something china or glass breaking.

Chelsea and I exchanged a glance, then rushed behind the counter and into the kitchen. There, on the floor, was Mrs. Cope, clutching her red, swelling ankle, beside her a broken chair and shards of a china bowl.

"Shelly, what happened?" Chelsea asked worriedly while I rushed to get a bag of frozen peas from the freezer to cool the injury.

"Oh, honey," she replied in a pained voice. "I was reaching for the mixing bowl when the chair cracked and broke, and I crashed to the ground.

Crouching down beside her, I tried to examine her ankle. "Can you move your foot?"

She winced, then shook her head.

I turned around to find Edward in the doorway, motioning for him to get over to us.

"We have to take you to the hospital to get that checked out. Edward, can you help me get her off the floor?"

He crouched down beside me, and we supported Mrs. Cope as she got up on one foot, then helped her into our rental and drove her to the hospital.

Two hours and a set of X-rays later, she was in a cast and we took her home.

"What am I going to do about the diner?" She sighed while shaking her head in despair.

When I'd worked there part-time back in high school, she'd had another cook she split shifts with.

"Is Sam still working for you?" I asked, trying to help her find a solution.

"He is," she replied, "but he can't work the diner alone. He can either work mornings until after lunch or the afternoon and dinner shift. He has a wife and two kids now."

We were silent for a couple minutes, contemplating a way to solve her problem.

"If only you were still living here," Mrs. Cope said, wistful.

But I wasn't. I had a new home now.

After a while longer, we said goodbye to her, so she could rest and make some calls, promising to come by again before we left for New York.

****TtK****

That night, I lay awake in bed, unable to stop my racing thoughts. If Mrs. Cope had to close the diner, if only part-time, Chelsea and at least half of her employees would be out of a job for the next several weeks. Most of them had kids and needed the money, even more so this close to Christmas.

But that wasn't all. Mrs. Cope had done a lot for me when I was younger. When I was a girl who just liked to cook with her step-mom, she'd taken me under her wings and introduced me to the way a professional kitchen was run. She gave me flexible work hours to keep up with my studies and the chance to save up for college. And when the time came to apply to culinary schools, she'd written me glowing letters of recommendation. Now her livelihood was at stake.

"Edward," I whispered, not sure if he was already asleep.

"What's the matter, baby?" he replied, apparently just as awake as I was.

I scooted up a little higher so we were eye level with each other.

"I've been thinking. Poor Mrs. Cope really needs help with the diner. And at the moment, I don't have a job in New York." I paused, gauging his reaction. The guarded look in his eyes showed he knew where I was going with my thoughts. "I'd like to offer my help until she finds someone else to fill in or until she's on her feet again, whatever comes first. I'm sure it won't take longer than a week or two."

His eyes were locked with mine for a long moment until he spoke. "I had a feeling this was coming." He closed his eyes and swallowed, then smiled sadly. "I'll miss you."

With tear-filled eyes, I returned his smile. "I'll miss you, too — so much — but I feel I have to do this for Shelly. And it will only be a few weeks. I'll be back before you know it."

Edward pulled me into his chest and didn't let go until I fell asleep.

****TtK****

After checking with Charlie and Sue, making sure they were okay with me staying a while longer, I made my way to visit Mrs. Cope.

She was over the moon, but felt guilty at the same time, when I offered to fill in for her. She only accepted after I assured her I was happy to be able to work and that my new husband was okay with my staying.

That night, Edward broke his vow and made sweet, passionate, and then toward the end, desperate love to me. After that, we held each other, kissed, cuddled and talked until we fell into an exhausted sleep.

****TtK****

The next morning, after breakfast, I walked Edward to our rental car, my hand clasped tightly in his. I couldn't believe I'd willingly let him go home alone, but I felt I owed it to Mrs. Cope to help her in her time of need.

"So, your flight leaves at two, right?" I asked through the lump in my throat just for the sake of saying something.

"Yeah. I have six hours to get to Seattle and check in. That should be enough." We'd talked it through and planned everything for hours yesterday, but since we weren't ready to part ways yet, we rehashed it all again.

"That should suffice. And the weather is good, so you should make the drive in four hours, tops. Do you have the ticket?"

We stood at the driver's door then, staring at each other as though we wouldn't see one another for the next year or so.

"It's in my pocket, where you put it last night." Edward smiled at me with his special half-smile, though it didn't completely reach his eyes.

"Right." I reached for his other hand so I was holding both of them. "I don't want to let you go," I admitted, a little embarrassed at being so clingy.

He sighed, then pulled me close. "I need to go back to New York, baby." I could tell saying goodbye was hard for him, too, but he was being the strong one for my sake. "You'll be back home faster than you think."

I nodded silently, wrapping my arms around his waist. "We'll talk on the phone, right?" I stifled the sob that bubbled up.

"Every day," he assured me in a soothing voice, then pulled away, taking my face in his hands, using his thumb to wipe away the one stray tear.

He leaned down, tenderly touching his lips to mine. My arms hugged him tighter as our lips stayed locked for a long moment — but not long enough. Before I knew it, Edward broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against mine.

"I love you so much, Spice. So much. But if I don't go now, I don't think I'll ever be able to leave."

After one last, lingering kiss, he disentangled himself from me and opened the car door. With our eyes locked, he stepped inside, closed the door, and lowered the window so I could lean in.

"I love you, too, Edward. So much. Call me when you get home."

I kissed his lips one last time, then stood up straight.

"I will. Talk to you later."

With that, he backed out of the driveway and turned the car around. Waving goodbye to me, he drove slowly down the street, leaving me rooted to my spot until I watched him turn around the corner and out of my sight.

It shouldn't take longer than a week or two, but those weeks would sure turn out to be the longest of my life.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** *peeking up from hiding behind the couch*Before you come at me with tar and feathers, I promise this is only going to be a geographical separation. Edward and Bella as a couple will continue to be going strong.

Okay, what do you think of Charlie and Sue? And what about Bella trying to give something back to her former mentor? The separation won't be easy on them, but it's only two weeks, right? Or not?

I guess you won't be happy to hear that this story is winding down. Right now, it looks as though there will be two more chapters and an epi, but that's not set in stone.

Want a little peek at chapter 24? Here you go:

… _I could hear the tears in her voice when she spoke again. "I miss you, Edward. And I miss our home. I wish I had a job again." …_

This really sounds worse than it is, but it's the most interesting line from chapter 24 when singled out ;). Now, what do you think is going on? Will Bella be back in NY soon? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

As usual, I'm aiming for two weeks for the next update, and I really try to get all regular chapters out before Christmas. See you next chapter.


	24. Chapter 24 - This House Is Not a Home

**A/N:** Hi my friends! A few days ago, I told the members of my _Facebook_ group that chapter 25 was giving me a hard time, and normally, I wouldn't post chapter 24 before 25 is done. However, I gave them the choice whether they wanted 24 posted this weekend, even though it might take a bit longer until 25 will be up or if they wanted to wait and have the last two chapters in quicker succession. As you see, your wish is my command. So here's the penultimate chapter of Tie the Knot.

I don't have words strong enough to thank **evelyn-shaye** , **Midnight Cougar** and **LaPumuckl** for their patience and the effort they put into this story to make it the best it can be. Ladies, you're the best.

Now, here's chapter 24. Enjoy. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Twilight_ or _Marriage At First Sight_ …

******TtK******

Chapter 24 – This House Is Not a Home

~Edward~

For the first time ever, entering our apartment in Manhattan didn't feel like coming home. Everything was the way we'd left it five days ago — even Bella's coffee cup from that morning was still in the sink— but it didn't feel warm or homey at all. It wasn't the safe haven I looked forward to after a long day at a job I hated. However, it was only supposed to last for a week or two — right?

****TtK****

It didn't take long for everything to go back to the way it was before Bella came into my life — almost. I threw myself into every little piece of work I could do for _CMM Programming_ , spent all of my free and waking time with Em and Seth, and reverted back to living off take-out food. It all could have been perfect had I not known what it was like to come home to Bella waiting for me, her cooking something special for me whenever she could, and her warm little body cuddled into me at night. And we were only three days into our geographical separation.

Bella had taken over the late shift at the diner, so Sam, the other cook, could spend more time with his kids. Considering the time difference, it was the middle of the night in New York when she got off. It didn't matter, though. She called me every night as soon as she got home to her dad's house, and I called her most mornings before I went into work.

Sadly, with one of us always waking the other from deep sleep, we didn't get to talk as much as I wanted to. Although, not a day went by without me telling Bella how much I loved her and missed her, and in turn, she made clear how much she loved and missed me, as well.

What made our separation easier for me to bear was the excitement I could hear in her voice when she talked about the work she was doing. Cooking at a small town diner and practically running it, on a culinary level, didn't compare to being head-chef at an upscale Italian restaurant in Manhattan. Nonetheless, the fact she had the chance to run a kitchen again and realize some of her creativity, while helping an old friend, made her genuinely happy.

Every time we talked, underneath the pain of separation, there was elation in her at being able to do what she loved, and much as I wanted her by my side, I couldn't begrudge her that.

At least things with _Wally's Wonderland_ were going great. Sales and downloads were constantly increasing, and more blogs and even gaming magazines were starting to mention it. We were already in a position to pay back Bella's investment — twice — but decided to go with the original repayment plan for now so we had some liquid assets in case something unexpected happened. She was okay with that, and I made sure she got her monthly payments as we'd agreed.

While Wally was spreading his wings, we started to discuss what would come next. All three of us were looking to quit our unfulfilling day-jobs and make a living doing something we were passionate about. There were several ideas being thrown around, one of them being a sequel.

One night, when I'd been back from Forks for about a week, we were once again bouncing around some thoughts.

"Why not _Wally 2_?" Emmett started the discussion. "It worked for _Monkey Island_ , _Super Mario Land_ and several others."

Seth shook his head in exasperation. "We've discussed this over and over. If we do a sequel, it has to be better than the original, or people won't see a reason to buy it. If we come up with something new, just as good, it will be enough because it's different."

"But if we do Part 2, we'll be able to launch much sooner because half the work is already done," Em argued his point.

I partly agreed. "That's true, but it won't be as successful or recognized as something new. If this is about being able to quit our jobs, maybe there's another way to tide us over financially until we can release something else."

"Yeah. Or we can accept this offer," Seth piped up, waving a letter in the air.

Em sat up a little straighter. "What offer?"

I grabbed the piece of paper from Seth and scanned it, my jaw dropping in shock. "This is from Microsoft Studios. They're offering us a million dollars to get the exclusive rights to _Wally's Wonderland_."

Emmett whistled appreciatively. "A million bucks. Dammit! That's a lot."

"It is," Seth agreed. "But if they're willing to pay us that much to get the rights, that means there's a whole lot more money in it than we thought."

He was right. Microsoft wouldn't buy a game for a million if there weren't at least five or even ten more to gain.

"Then we say thanks but no thanks."

Both my friends agreed with my assessment, and we drank to our obvious success. For whatever reason, instead of shredding the letter to pieces, I folded it neatly and put it away.

****TtK****

"Hey, baby," I croaked into the phone when it woke me at three in the morning. "You're home late today."

Usually, she called me between one and two NY time. Once or twice, I'd even been awake. Tonight was the first time she called so late, though.

"I'm sorry if I worried you. Shelly came by, and we discussed some things after closing time."

"How is she?" I asked, gradually waking up more.

"Not good," Spice replied with a sigh. "Her ankle is still pretty swollen, and she can't put hardly any weight on the leg."

That wasn't good news. If Mrs. Cope wasn't getting better, Bella probably wouldn't be coming home anytime soon, unless they found another temporary replacement.

"I'm sorry to hear that." A yawn interrupted me there. "What about her cousin? Will she be coming soon?"

A couple days ago, Bella had mentioned a cousin of Mrs. Cope's who lived in Seattle and could maybe move to Forks for a while to take over from her.

"Something came up and she won't be able to make it for now." She was quiet for a moment, giving me the time to understand what she wasn't saying.

"Will you be home for Christmas?" I asked dejectedly, hoping our separation wouldn't drag on forever.

She sounded choked up when she replied. "I'm doing what I can, honestly." She paused for another moment, then changed the subject. "Was there any mail for me?"

When she'd decided to stay in Washington for the time being, we'd agreed I would open her letters so I would know if any of them were urgent. However, the only things that had come were a couple rejection letters.

"Yeah, there were a few replies to your applications. No one seems to be hiring right now."

After a minute of silence, she took a deep breath, then said, "Well, at least I have work here, for now."

There was a pang in my chest, but I had to believe she was coming back to me as soon as she could.

I could hear the tears in her voice when she continued. "I miss you, Edward. And I miss our home. I wish I had a job thereagain."

"You will," I assured her, even though I felt anything but confident at the moment.

"I love you." Her voice was shaky but clear.

Closing my eyes, I replied, "I love you, too, Spice. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

We hung up, but instead of going back to sleep, my mind kept me up the rest of the night, wishing my wife were lying next to me.

****TtK****

The next afternoon, I was changing out of my work clothes when there was a knock on the front door. Nobody ever came by for a visit, especially unannounced. So curiously, I hurried to pull up my jeans and throw on a T-shirt while rushing to answer the door.

Opening it, I was surprised to find Jacob in the hall.

"Jake, hi. Come in."

He looked a little uncomfortable as he stepped inside. "I'm sorry if I'm coming at a bad time, but I talked to Bells and she said you'd probably be home now. I wanted to borrow a cookbook. Next week, Mike and I have our two-year anniversary, and I want to surprise him by cooking something special for him. Bells told me which book to take and what to make." He looked around as if wondering what to say. "I was shocked to hear she didn't come back to New York with you."

I motioned for Jake to take a seat on the couch and did the same opposite him. "To be honest, I was kind of shocked myself when she told me about her idea to stay for a while longer. I really wanted her to come home with me. It's been a week now, and I miss the hell out of her. But I understand why she stayed."

Jacob nodded thoughtfully. "Shelly Cope means a lot to her."

"Yeah, and it's not as if she had any great opportunities waiting for her here." I stopped for a moment, contemplating my dilemma. It had all started when Felix bought _Volturi's_. "Dammit! Why did Marcus have to sell the restaurant? And if so, why didn't he give Bella the chance to buy it first? I don't get it."

I'd talked more to myself than to Jake, but when I looked up at him, I noticed a weird expression on his face. If I'd had to make a guess, I'd have said he was debating whether to say something or not.

"What is it?" I demanded to know, suspicious of his reaction to my rambling.

Shaking his head, he looked away from me. "Man, I can't. I promised."

"You promised what? And to whom?" So there was something he wasn't telling me. "Come on, Jake, if it's something about Bella, I need to know."

He raised his eyes to the ceiling, then sighed before he quietly said, "He did."

I wasn't sure if I'd heard him correctly. "Who did what?"

Jacob sighed once more, louder this time. "Marcus. He did offer to let Bela buy the restaurant first."

"Fuck!" I exclaimed. Rising from my seat, I started pacing. "Why didn't she accept? And why didn't she tell me about it?"

I couldn't believe my wife had kept something as important as this from me, even more so after I confessed all my sins to her, and we promised to be honest with each other.

"Calm down, man." Jake tried to stop my freak-out. "She had her reasons."

"What could be the reason not to tell me about an opportunity like that? Shit, Jake, I told her about every little thing I did wrong, and we vowed never to lie to each other again. Why didn't she tell me?"

I plopped into my seat, tugging at my hair in disbelief.

"She didn't have the money to buy the restaurant," Jake started to explain. "Marcus's offer was a considerable amount below market value, but she only has a fraction of it in savings, and even with the fifty grand, she was sure she wouldn't have gotten a loan. And then …" He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging, and I instantly knew what he wasn't saying.

"And then I lost the funding for our game." _Fuck!_ Spice had given up her dream to pay for mine. And here I was mad at her for keeping something from me when, in truth, she'd made a major sacrifice for me.

"She didn't want you to know because she was sure you'd never take her money if there was even the slightest chance she'd need it for herself." Jake's disheartened voice cut through my inner monologue.

Bella had been right. If I'd known, I'd never have accepted her offer, at least not until every single bank in New York had refused to give her a loan. Then something occurred to me.

"How much money are we talking about?"

Now that the cat was out of the bag, Jake apparently didn't feel the need to hold back anymore. So he easily gave up whatever information he had.

"Felix offered Marcus half a million dollars, which was pretty much what the restaurant was worth. Before accepting that offer, Marcus talked to Bella and practically begged her to take over for the reduced price of three hundred thousand. However, when she turned him down, she not only told him she didn't have the money, but she fed him some bullshit story about wanting to have more time for you and maybe starting a family. She was afraid that, if he knew it was only because of the funds, he'd ask for even less, and then he and Renata wouldn't have enough money to move to Italy and live comfortably."

Once again, Spice had thought of everyone else except herself. Dammit, Marcus had definitely made her a bargain offer. Was she right and no one would have invested in her dream, or had she given up too quickly? Knowing how none of the banks we'd talked to about a loan for our game had been willing to give us fifty thousand, I couldn't imagine them giving Bella six times that amount. Then again, we wanted to get something new out there while she wanted to take over a well-established business.

"I would have wanted to know. I probably wouldn't have been able to change anything, but I would have wanted to be there for her. These past three months have been hard on Bella, and I tried to hold her hand — through everything. Now she's in Forks and I'm here, and I miss her like crazy."

Jacob looked at me sympathetically. "Yeah, I miss her, too. When's she going to come back?"

My shoulders slumped in resignation, remembering last night's phone call. "I have no idea. Shelly's ankle isn't healing as it should, and the cousin from Seattle can't make it there any time soon. And since she doesn't have work here anyway, there's not much of a pull to rush home."

"Hey, if you think she doesn't want to come back to you, you're sorely mistaken. I know she misses you at least as much as you miss her."

I knew he was sincere. He was Bella's best friend and had no reason to mince words for my sake. I believed him when he said he missed her, too. Prior to our wedding, those two had been practically inseparable.

As things were at the moment, there were two possible reasons for Bella to come home: the first being Mrs. Cope's recovery, and the second being a real job opportunity here in New York. I had no way of helping along option one, but maybe there was a way to realize option two.

"What if I found a way to get _Volturi's_ back?" I asked as soon as the thought crossed my mind.

"Are you serious?" Jake stared at me with incredulity in his eyes.

I was, wasn't I? "I'll try," was all I could honestly say.

Jacob shook his head again. "If there's anything I can do, just let me know. And maybe with his new position at the bank, Mike could be of help, too."

I thanked him, and after finding the book he came for, he left, reminding me to call him if I needed him.

****TtK****

"You mean she decided not to go for it because she thought we needed the money more?" Emmett was pacing as I'd been a few hours earlier.

"I'm saying she declined the offer because she thought she wouldn't get a loan, but she didn't even try because she wanted to give us her resources," I corrected, resigned to what had gone down.

"And it was a real bargain, you said?" Seth wanted to know.

Scratching the back of my neck with my hand, I replied, "It was a steal."

"Shit!" Emmett exclaimed loudly. "That sucks! I feel so bad! How can we ever make it up to her?"

Even though I hadn't planned the whole thing out, that reaction was what I'd been hoping for. I was counting on their eagerness to make things right.

"There might be a way," I let them know, and when I looked into their awaiting faces, I continued, "Seth, do you think you could hack into Bella's Google account?"

****TtK****

Seth's years as a hacker had been a long time past, but he came through, and half an hour later, I had the contact information I'd been looking for.

It was the middle of the night now, and I was pacing the living room again, organizing my thoughts to know what to say once I actually dialed the number. I'd discussed at length with the guys what our plan of action would be, but it might all depend on the result of my phone call.

Having gone through all possible outcomes twice, I finally scrolled through my contacts until I found the one I added that afternoon. Taking one deep breath, I hit "Send."

It rang four times before a deep, warm voice greeted me with a friendly, "Hello?"

Instantly, my nervousness died down and I greeted him back. "Hi, Marcus. This is Edward Masen. How are you doing?"

********TtK********

 **A/N:** I'm sorry for the cliffie, but believe me, it's better this way ;).

Most of you were right when you guessed Bella's stay in Washington would turn out to be longer than two weeks. Now, what do you think Edward will do? Is it even possible to get Volturi's back? And will that make Bella leave her friend in need?

I know this chapter was shorter than usual, but this was the best way to set up the grand finale. You want a little peek? Here you go:

… _I had a very bad feeling. In his messages, he still assured me he loved me, but I was getting the feeling that things were falling apart. …_

Well, this sounds bad, but keep in mind the end of this chapter and you should feel assured ;). With that being said, what do you think the teaser means? Why are there only messages? Is Edward avoiding Bella? Or is something else going on? Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

So, the last chapter should post in a bit over two weeks, but still before Christmas. Until then, take care.


	25. Chapter 25 - Home Is Where the Heart Is

**A/N:** Hey there! I'm glad I could keep my promise to post this before Christmas, if only barely. I can't tell you how hard it was for me to get this final chapter right.

Thanks to you all for being along for the ride. I know time between updates was long, and some of you were exasperated with our couple at times. However, I hope the grand finale will be to your liking.

Even though there will be an epilogue, I want to take the chance to thank my team of betas and pre-readers for all their hard work, and I can assure you it's not easy to handle my overuse of certain words, run-on sentences, and split infinitives. **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl** , I'm grateful beyond words for what you've done for me. Without you, this journey wouldn't have been any fun.

Now, let's see how Bella managed her time away from Edward and if he succeeded with his plan. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Twilight_ or _Married At First Side_...

******TtK******

Chapter 25 – Home Is Where the Heart Is

~Bella~

When I came home from working at the diner the first night after Edward returned to Manhattan, I found my dad at the kitchen table, a can of Rainier in his hand.

"Hey, Bells. Long day?" He greeted me with concern edged on his face.

I sighed, then turned to the fridge to get myself a beer.

"Yeah, but I'm used to those." Opening the can, I sat down across from him and took a sip. When I looked up, my dad's dark eyes were on me expectantly. I let my shoulders slump, then continued. "It's just that I'm also used to coming home to my husband waiting for me."

Charlie stiffened almost imperceptibly, steeling himself for his next words. "Bells, I know I should have talked to you about it earlier, but maybe it took me seeing you two together to fully understand." He nervously ran his finger through the condensation on the beer can, his gaze glued to his action. "I should have been at your wedding. Hell, you're my baby girl. You have no idea how much I wanted to walk you down the aisle, but I couldn't stand by and watch you make possibly the biggest mistake of your life. Now I know that, whatever might have happened, I should have been there for you." He took another moment to gather his next words. "I still can't understand why you felt the need to marry someone you'd never met, but I'm glad it worked out for you." A smile broke its way onto his face. "That husband of yours is a decent guy, and he clearly loves you a lot."

I knew it wasn't easy for Charlie to admit to having made a mistake, but in doing so, he basically asked my forgiveness. In turn, I felt as though I owed him the truth. Well, enough of it he wouldn't change his opinion of Edward.

"It hasn't always been like that. In the beginning, we had our differences. To be honest, we fought like cats and dogs. It took us a major blow up to get our shit together. But since then, everything's been almost perfect." Hoping it would never become an issue, I decided to keep the bet and Edward's deception to myself. However, I needed Charlie to know I missed him at the wedding, so I added a low, but grave, "For what it's worth, I wanted you to walk me down the aisle, too." Then, to lighten the mood, I concluded, "Maybe you'll get the chance another time."

After looking contemplative for a moment, my dad shrugged. "Naw, I don't think you two will ever get a divorce."

"I hope we won't," I agreed. Although, part of me did wish for a do-over of our weird wedding — with me walking toward the man I loved, all my family in attendance, and real, heartfelt vows. Maybe we'd get a chance to do it someday.

Charlie changed the topic after that, and I was glad everything was back to normal between us.

****TtK****

One week in Forks, and I was ready to run away screaming. Sure, everyone was nice enough to the girl who'd supposedly made it big in New York and was now back to help her former mentor in need. Wherever I went, people who hadn't known my name back in the day were now friendly and chatted me up about our mutual past. I always smiled back and let them believe I was as happy to see them, as they were to have met me.

Charlie and I got the chance to spend some quality time together, talking deep into the night, going on walks, and even watching some games on TV. A couple times, he asked me about our honeymoon, our apartment in New York, and our plans for the future, but neither of us mentioned his absence from our wedding again, and that was fine with me. I hadn't spent that much time with my dad since I moved out eight years ago, and while that sweetened the deal for my staying in Washington, it simply wasn't enough.

Every night after work, I called Edward, mostly waking him from deep sleep, which was audible in his voice, and I felt bad for keeping him from his rest. He always tried to make our calls last as long as possible, but since he was often too tired to tell me much, our calls were rather short. Regardless, he never failed to remind me he loved me and missed me, which made my eyes prickle and my breath hitch when my need to be close to him overwhelmed me.

The feeling of loneliness and resignation was particularly strong the night I'd had to tell Edward I probably wouldn't come home as planned. In the beginning, Mrs. Cope was expected to be back on her feet after two weeks, and if not, her cousin from Seattle, who had some experience in running a kitchen, was supposed to take over for me. As it turned out, Shelly wasn't healing as predicted, and her cousin was delayed indefinitely for personal reasons.

Just as anticipated, Edward was disappointed and frustrated when I told him, but thankfully, he didn't take it out on me or even ask me to drop everything and rush back to him. For a moment, I considered doing exactly that, until reality caught up to me, reminding me that, while I was needed here, I was unemployed in New York. In light of that realization, I would have been stupid to leave someone who needed me to go back to sending out resumes, only to be rejected yet again. So, I let the tears fall and resigned myself to my fate, staying put in Washington for as long as I had to.

From that day forward, our phone calls changed. I still told Edward about my days, the time I spent with Sue, my dad, and the few other people I truly cared about, and he still told me about _CMM_ and his job he hated. However, I felt as though he was leaving things out, not telling me something that was going on in his life. It wasn't that I doubted his love for me or suspected him to be cheating, it simply sensed something was off, and I didn't know what it was.

Jake was acting strange, as well. When he called me a couple days after I hadn't returned with Edward, he was incredulous, reminding me of how much I hated living in Forks. He also asked me if I was aware, my "hot-ass husband" was alone, pining after me.

Then, a week later, after I agreed to loan him a cookbook, our talks became fewer and farther between, almost as though he were avoiding me. I had no idea what was going on, and since he and Edward weren't the best of friends, I didn't connect his strange behavior with my husband's.

At least my girls were consistent in their begging me to leave Podunk, WA behind and rejoin them in the Big Apple. Tanya, having fled a hicktown in Tennessee, was the most adamant about me speeding back, so I wasn't stuck in the backwoods, while Jess whined about me having to meet her boyfriend, Lucas, who was "the One." Sadly, I suspected he'd turn out to be just "another one." Ange was the easiest to talk to, considering she only reminded me that she missed me and was hoping to see me soon.

****TtK****

Weeks passed, and I fell into a routine of working and missing Edward more and more each day. Many nights, I woke up drenched in sweat, breathing hard. When I came to, realizing my hot dream was just that, and the truth that I was in my old bed in Forks, cold and alone, sank in, I sobbed into my pillow until sleep was merciful and reclaimed me. The worst was, I had no idea how long our separation would last.

Even though I didn't know if I'd get a chance to be home in New York for the holidays, I'd bought presents for everyone who was important to me. As the days went by, Christmas came closer and closer, and although we'd avoided talking about it for weeks, there came a time when I couldn't deny it any longer. I wouldn't be able to get back to Manhattan in time to open presents with my husband.

Every time I started to steer the conversation in that direction, maybe to ask Edward if he could come to Forks to be with me, he changed the subject or ended the call. Then, beginning with the Monday prior to Christmas, I wasn't able to reach him at all. All my calls went to voicemail, either directly or after the allotted amount of rings. He only responded with a short text here and there.

I had a very bad feeling. In his messages, he still assured me he loved me, but I was getting the sense things were falling apart. My erotic dreams turned into nightmares, mocking me with memories of things I once had.

With stressful days and fitful nights, I was close to my breaking point five days before Christmas. Right when I was about to cave and have a long, hard cry, my phone rang with Jacob's tone. Wiping away the tears that had escaped already, I accepted the call and greeted my best friend.

"Hey, Bells. What's going on? You don't sound too good?" His inquiries proved how well he knew me.

"I'm fine, Jake." I was quick to let him know. "It's just that it's almost Christmas, and I haven't talked to Edward in days. Every time I bring up the topic of not being able to be home, he cuts me off. It's as though he's trying to make the problem go away by avoiding it or he's hiding something."

"How's Shelly?" He continued after a short break without saying a word about my predicament.

I sighed, wiping away another tear. "Her ankle's still swollen, and it has been almost four weeks. She won't be able to start physical therapy until she is able to weight-bear and more of the swelling is gone."

Only the previous day, I'd learned Shelly's forced vacation had been extended indefinitely. I was devastated, and really needed to speak with my husband, but once more, he wasn't available.

"Well, I have good news, so listen up, Bells." Jake interrupted my somber thoughts. "A friend of mine told me about his brother opening a new restaurant in Manhattan. It's going to be modern Italian, and he's looking for a head chef. I set up an interview for you on Saturday."

Stunned, I stuttered, "S-Saturday, like _this_ Saturday? Like Christmas Eve? And in New York?"

Jake chuckled. "Yes, silly. The guy is very eager to meet you. I'm sure this is the chance you've been waiting for!"

It sure sounded promising. But, dammit! What about Shelly? "Jake, what about the diner?" I asked with my heart pounding in my chest. What if this was my chance and I wasn't able to go for it, because I couldn't leave Shelly hanging?

After a moment of silence, Jake's deep, soothing voice said, "I know you're the one who's kept everything afloat for the past month, but talk to her. I'm sure there is a way."

I wasn't, but I agreed to try. We said good night and decided to make plans for my return once I'd spoken to Mrs. Cope.

****TtK****

I still hadn't talked to Edward when I went to see Shelly the next morning. As usual, she called for me to come in, and I found her on her couch, foot elevated.

"Hey, Bella. What brings you here?" She motioned for me to take a seat.

I felt bad, coming to ask her if there was a way she could let me get out of our arrangement, but I had to think about my future. Taking a deep breath, I told her. "Shelly, I had a call last night, and I was asked to come in for an interview at a restaurant in Manhattan this Saturday."

Nervous, I looked at her to gauge her reaction. Surprised to see her smile instead of looking disappointed or worried, I waited for her to let me know what she was thinking.

"Bella, sweetheart, you've been a godsend these last four weeks. There's no way I could have kept the diner open without your help. I'll never be able to thank you enough or repay you what I actually owe you. But even though I'd love to keep you here, I knew it was only temporary. If you have to go, you have to go."

Her words stunned me even more than her mild expression. "But what about the diner?"

"Well, I'd already considered closing after lunchtime on Christmas Eve and reopening the day after Christmas when my cousin should be able to take over. Don't worry, honey. We'll manage."

Without a word, I got up and threw my arms around her, sniffling into her shoulder.

"Oh, Bella, don't cry. It's okay. Now, book a flight and show New York who's boss."

After assuring her I'd do my best, and I'd finish my shifts at the diner that day and the next, I left her with my best wishes for a quick recovery.

****TtK****

Charlie and Sue weren't happy I was leaving so close to the holidays, but on Christmas Eve morning, I boarded a plane from SeaTac to JFK. I hadn't talked to Edward since Monday, apart from the few voice mails we'd exchanged.

Not wanting to tell him about my return in a message, I decided to leave him a last, vague voice mail. I hoped I would surprise him when I came home to celebrate Christmas with him.

"Hey, baby. So, here's another message. I wanted to let you know I'm okay and you won't be able to reach me for the next several hours. I'll talk to you tonight. I love you."

I wasn't sure what I'd find once I returned to our apartment. Edward wasn't the tidiest person and often left a mess, but that wasn't what I was worried about. Not having talked to my husband in almost a week, I felt there was more separating us than just the expanse of the continent. Regardless of how I suspected he was keeping things from me and pulling away, I still believed he loved me and wanted me back. Maybe the time apart had gotten to him, and it was easier for him not to talk to me.

I'd never missed anything or anyone as much as I'd missed Edward these past four weeks. While my heart ached every time I heard his voice but couldn't feel his touch, I needed to talk to him every day. Even more, the last several days without our phone calls had worn on me. I didn't think I could take any more separation.

Although I hadn't slept at all the previous night, I was too nervous and keyed up to get any rest on the flight. I had no idea where the new restaurant was or what it would be like, but I knew I wanted the job — needed the job. I also needed to be close to Edward. Four weeks apart was enough, and I had to make up for lost time.

Jake was the only one who knew my itinerary. He was supposed to pick me up and take me to my interview, since he was the one who'd set it up in the first place.

After retrieving my luggage from the carousel, I exited the airport and found Jake leaning against a blue Ford sedan, waiting for me in the pick-up lane. He beamed at me the moment he laid eyes on me, and rushed forward, crushing me to his chest.

"Dammit, Bells, I missed you. Don't you ever stay away that long again."

I hugged him tight, assuring him, without words, I didn't intend to. After a long moment, we let go of each other, and Jake loaded my luggage into the trunk.

"Where did you get the car?" I asked as I buckled up. I'd expected him to pick me up in a cab.

"Oh, Jack and Cynthia from across the hall offered to let me borrow it whenever I wanted. I thought today would be the occasion to take them up on it," he explained. Starting the car and weaving out of the parking spot, he merged into the bumper-to-bumper traffic around the airport.

We made small talk, not touching on the heavy stuff — like my husband avoiding me and the impact my long absence might have had on my marriage. I had no idea where exactly we were going, but Jake assured me we were right on time.

I didn't pay too much attention to our surroundings, but did a double take when he finally killed the engine in front of what used to be _Volturi's_.

"What are we doing here?" I demanded in complete confusion. Surely, Felix wasn't in the market for a head chef. As far as I'd heard from my former coworkers, things weren't going too well for his modern approach to Italian cuisine.

"This is where your interview is," he replied, as though it were the most logical thing in the world.

Looking at the front of the building once more, I was surprised to see the _GUSTO!_ sign gone, and in its place a new plate, stating the name of the restaurant as _Spezia._

I had a million and one questions on my mind, but before I got the chance to ask one of them, Jake rushed me out of the car.

"Come on, it's time. You don't want to be late and make a bad impression." He gestured for me to get out. "Call me when you're done, then I'll take you and your luggage home. Good luck, Bells."

He leaned over the middle console, placing a kiss on my cheek, then made me hurry out of the car. Standing rooted to my spot in front of the building I knew so well, I heard the car pull into traffic and vanish, leaving me behind with absolutely no desire to walk into the new restaurant.

Even though what Felix had done with the place wasn't particularly my taste, I'd had to admit it turned out appealing. However, it had hurt to watch him make so many changes at something I loved the way it was. With that knowledge, I didn't really want to go in and see what the new owners had changed. Regardless, I'd made up my mind when leaving Washington that I'd do whatever was required so I could stay and work in New York.

Steeling myself for what I was about to find inside, I walked toward the unlocked door. With a last deep breath, I pushed it open and entered.

The guest room wasn't what it had been under Felix's reign. The cold and modern chairs had been replaced by comfortable-looking, dark-wood frames with light cushions, the abstract paintings on the walls were gone, and in their place were classic Italian landscapes, and the steel lamps had been exchanged for warm, vintage-looking glass ones that created a particularly romantic atmosphere. The walls, which Felix had painted white and gray, were restored to their old beigey-off-white color. Overall, the new setting was precisely how I'd pictured my own restaurant.

I swallowed the sadness that was bubbling up, reminding myself I'd done the right thing by declining Marcus's offer, and carefully put one foot in front of the other in search of the newest owner.

"Hello?" I called out as I made my way into the familiar rooms, confused when I didn't get a reply.

As I turned the corner to the back part of the guest room that also led to the kitchen, my breath hitched when I found the whole room lit by hundreds of tealight candles. But, what shocked me the most was to find my husband standing in the middle of the room, his eyes shining with nervous excitement.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You're here for a job," he replied, matter-of-fact, not giving anything away.

I took a couple steps toward him, but stopped, still at a good distance away from him. I hadn't seen Edward in four weeks, and my heart ached for me to touch him, kiss him, and hold him, and never let him go. However, my bewilderment was getting the better of me, and I stayed where I was. "Where is the owner of the place?"

Edward's face lit up as though he were in on a secret no one else knew about, and all he said was, "They're here."

I took another look around, not being able to find anyone but us. "Where are they exactly?"

Now Edward was the one closing the distance between us, tentatively taking my left hand with his right. "They're here. They're you and me, or rather, _you_."

His gaze held mine, and the total conviction in his eyes didn't do anything to clear up my confusion. "That's impossible. Felix bought the place from Marcus."

"And I bought it back," Edward stated simply.

I extracted my hand from his, not because I didn't want him to touch me, but I needed the freedom to walk a few steps without being held back. "How's that even possible? And where did you get the money?"

My back was to him, scanning the room for every little change I hadn't noticed yet, when his reply hit me like a ton of bricks.

"It's a long story, and I'll tell you later if you want to know all the details, but long story short, Microsoft offered us a deal to buy our game." He cleared his throat. "And after Jake told me you turned down Marcus's offer to buy the restaurant, I moved heaven and earth to get it back for you."

There was a lot of information in that one sentence, but one part stood out to me. Swirling around to face him, I choked out, "You sold your game? How will you run your business now?"

Edward smiled a smug little smile. "Well, they offered us a million, but we negotiated and sold for one and a half, plus the option of selling them our next one, as well. With your fifty thousand investment repaid and ten percent share in our profit, you and I are almost equal partners in this restaurant."

Tears of happiness, sadness, and bafflement brimmed in my eyes, and I had to shake my head to clear my sight. "Wally was your baby. How could you sell him?"

Edward walked to me for a second time, picking up both my hands in his. "The guys and I were in complete agreement that we wanted to do this to help you as you helped us. You mean more to us than any game ever could."

The sincere expression on his beautiful face caused a sob to escape from my throat, and I flung myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him in a vice grip. I'd never doubted his love for me, but not in my wildest dreams would I have been able to imagine him loving me that much.

"Oh Edward," I whispered between snivels. "I can't believe you did all this for me. No one has ever done anything so thoughtful. Thank you so much."

Kissing my neck soothingly, he cooed, "I love you, Spice. There's almost nothing I wouldn't do for you. But I don't deserve all the credit. I had a lot of help."

I knew, and I definitely planned to thank every single one of our friends, but right now, I needed to reconnect with my husband. Releasing my hold on his neck, I pulled back, locking my gaze with his for the blink of an eye, then I crushed my lips to his so hard it almost hurt. There would be time to be gentle later. Right now, the four weeks I hadn't seen Edward were taking their toll.

Within seconds, our tongues were tangling in a heated kiss, his taste I'd missed too much, driving me crazy. Hands were groping everywhere, tugging at clothes as I ushered Edward toward the small office. My coat and scarf fell to the floor somewhere on the way.

As the door opened, I stopped short when I noticed a very comfy-looking couch had replaced Marcus's old one. I shrugged it off, pushing Edward farther toward it until his calves hit the seat and he plopped down in the middle of the cushions.

Hooded eyes looked up at me from a startled face, and I smirked as I went down on first one knee, then the other, my hands reaching for Edward's belt, unbuckling it, and unzipping his dark jeans in record time. It didn't take a lot of coaxing for him to lift his hips so I could push all pieces of offending clothes down to his ankles.

"Shit, Spice, what are you doing," Edward hissed, as I wrapped my hand around his rock-hard dick.

"What does it look like?" With that being said, I stuck out my tongue and licked off the drop of pre-come that glistened at the tip. It wasn't the most delicious taste in the world, but the intimacy and eroticism of the act had me moaning alongside my husband.

I looked up at him through my lashes and found him staring at me through black eyes, his breath heavy. Running my tongue over my lips theatrically, I held his gaze as I leaned forward and slid my mouth down on him as far as I could.

The heartfelt "Fuck!" that fell from Edward's lips was all the encouragement I needed to start sucking him in earnest. I bobbed my head up and down, swirling my tongue around the tip, pushing back down. After only two strokes, I felt him throbbing in my mouth, and he placed his hand on the nape of my neck, his fingers gently weaving into my hair to guide my movements.

Instead of increasing the speed, he slowed me down, panting heavily with every lick and suck. It felt as though he was swelling further as I lapped at drops of pre-come that continued to appear. I was getting ready to swallow what he'd give me when Edward carefully but decidedly pulled me off him.

"Shit, Bella. I'm not going to last. It's been four weeks, and you can't imagine how desperately I need to be inside you."

He helped me off the floor, and in a frenzy, we both shed our clothes. When I was standing in front of him naked, he reached out for me, and I straddled him smoothly. With a deep look in to his eyes, I sank down on him, enveloping him in my heat.

The feeling of him inside me made my head spin, and for the first time in a month, I felt complete. With our arms wrapped around each other, I moved on top of him, our fronts pressed together in the most intimate embrace.

My movements, which had started out slow and steady, quickly accelerated and turned erratic as Edward thrust his hips up every time I pushed down. Our mouths shared sloppy kisses, our panted breaths cool on sweaty skin.

We were both too sex-starved and frantic to last long, and it only took a few minutes until we both cried out in a shared climax, holding onto each other tightly as we tried to catch our breath.

"Dammit, Spice, I missed you so fucking much! Promise never to leave me alone for that long ever again." His green eyes beseeched me to agree.

"I missed you so much it hurt," I admitted, and after a moment I added, "Not being able to talk to you for five days was hell."

Sighing, Edward handed me a box of Kleenex from the desk, then reached for a fluffy blanket that was on the arm of the couch. He spread it over us as he shifted our position so he lay on his back with me draped over his chest.

"I'm sorry I didn't take your calls, but every day, it got harder to talk to you and not mention what was going on here. So, after speaking with Jake, I decided to avoid talking to you at all. You can't imagine how difficult it was to see your name on the screen and ignore the call."

I leaned up to touch my lips to his tenderly, then closing my eyes, I confessed, "I felt as though you'd given up on me. You were pulling away, and I was too far away to do anything about it."

A tear slipped out of my eye and Edward kissed it away, his face a mask of pain. "I'm honestly sorry for that, Spice. I hoped my messages would assure you that everything was okay between us. And I was so busy with all of this trying to get it done for Christmas."

"I can imagine," I replied with a rueful smile. "How did you do it anyway?"

"Well, I'd call it a lucky coincidence. The day after the offer from Microsoft came in, Jake came by for the cookbook, and he slipped by telling me about Marcus's offer. When I talked to the guys about it, the vote to sell the rights to Wally was unanimous. Then I … happened across Marcus's number."

The look on his face told me there was more to that story. "What do you mean, you _happened_ across the number?"

"Um." Edward blushed a little. "I had Seth hack into your Google account."

Not sure if I should be upset or feel flattered, I went with, "Ooookay."

Edward seemed eager to continue his story, so we moved past his little illegal acquisition of information. "I called Marcus that night to hear everything from his side and discuss options. As it turned out, he had a clause written in the contract that grants him right of first refusal should Felix sell within five years after signing the contract. Apparently, his concept wasn't the success he expected, so it didn't take Marcus an awful lot of coaxing to get him to sell back to him. Then Marcus sold to us."

"Wow! And you did all that in three weeks?" I couldn't believe he made it all happen in that short a time.

He shrugged, stroking my arm with his thumb. "I had help. Em and Seth managed the Microsoft deal while I strategized with Marcus. Mike handled the financial side, and Jake talked to Mrs. Cope and helped her organize your replacement. Ange and Ben set up the paperwork. Not every last contract is ultimately signed, but everything's taken care of that we own the restaurant. You still have to decide if you want me to loan you the money or to be your business partner."

I didn't even have to consider it. With everything he'd done here, I wanted — needed — him to be my partner in everything. "I don't want a loan. If it's okay with you, I want you by my side."

His blinding smile brought tears to my eyes, and I'd never loved him more than in that very moment.

"I'll be by your side for as long as you want me," he stated meaningfully, pulling me into him. And I knew he would be. Sadly, with Edward condemned to staying in his day job, we'd be working opposing schedules again.

As regret made its way into my ridiculously happy state, my smile dropped, and I swallowed hard. "I'm sorry you'll have to stay in your shitty job now."

Edward's eyes turned playful, and I couldn't understand where that emotion came from until he replied, "I quit two weeks ago. We made some decisions about _CMM_ and realized that, with the money from the Microsoft deal, if we take on some IT support jobs and a few commission orders for customized software solutions, we should be able to make a comfortable living. We rented office space three buildings down the street. I'll be able to mostly work my own hours, and we'll be close to each other."

He was extremely happy and content with the direction our lives were taking, and I was happier for him than I could put into words.

"So you didn't just get the short end of the stick?" I asked, hopeful that helping me didn't ruin their business plans.

"Oh, baby, I'd have thrown it all away for you, had it been necessary. However, in this case, I can assure you, it all worked out."

We were quiet for a while, enjoying being together while hands caressed and lips kissed. Then, looking around the office, I was reminded of the changes that had been made since Felix ran the restaurant.

"What happened to the furnishings? _GUSTO!_ was decorated rather cold and modern, whereas everything looks cozy and romantic now; as though someone took the fantasy right out of my head."

Edward's arms around me tightened when he replied, "So you like it? I contacted an old friend of mine I'd grown apart from over the years. His wife is an interior designer, and she jumped at the chance to do this for you. Alice and Jasper can't wait to meet the woman who's stolen my heart so thoroughly."

I kissed him softly but deeply. "I don't like it. I love it. But what about the name? What does _Spezia_ mean?"

Edward chuckled knowingly. "It was Marcus's idea. He heard me call you 'Spice' and said that would be the perfect name for your restaurant — in Italian, of course."

Before I could climb him and show him once more how grateful I was, he added, "Jessica made a layout for a new menu that fits the altered design of the rooms. It will go into print as soon as you decide on the contents. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, your old coworkers are all looking forward to working with you again. They cheered when they learned you were going to be their new boss. And everything's set up for a small opening party on New Year's Eve."

I was happy, a little nervous, and completely overwhelmed. It was all too much, and I needed Edward to ground me. So I crashed my lips to his, sitting up on his lap as he shifted to lie down flat. His erection stood proud and ready for me to slide down on when we both froze, hearing voices from the taproom.

"They have to be here. The lights are still on, and the Mustang's parked around the corner."

"But wouldn't they go home to celebrate their reunion?"

"Huh. They have lots of flat surfaces to christen here. No need to go home for that."

"Bella, Edward?"

With wide eyes, we both scrambled off the couch and picked up our clothes in a hurry, pulling them on as fast as possible. As the voices came closer, Edward was buttoning up his shirt while I did my best to pat down my wild sex hair, then he opened the door and we walked toward the voices.

There, in the middle of the still-burning candles stood Emmett and Rose, Seth, Jake and Mike, Tanya, Jessica, Ange and Ben. All eyes were on us as we stumbled toward them, most faces smirking knowingly, but Emmett was the only one commenting on our obviously rumpled appearances.

"Dammit, I guess we interrupted some celebrating. Ed, want us to go so you can continue breaking in the place?" He chuckled, until Rose hit him in the chest.

"Dumbass! Stop embarrassing them."

Edward pulled me against him, kissing the top of my head as he playfully mumbled, "I can't believe I trusted him to handle Microsoft."

Standing tall, Edward addressed our assembled friends. "How did you get in here anyway?"

"Well, Romeo," Jake spoke up with a smile on his face, "as it seems, you were so eager to … reconnect, you forgot to lock the door."

"No matter how you got here, I'm glad you came, so I can thank each of you for your help with this." I lifted my hands and motioned around in explanation. "All of you played a part in making my dream come true. I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am. It's almost unreal."

Tears came to my eyes, and everyone grinned at me sweetly, saying they were happy to help.

Tanya was the first to come hug me. "I haven't done much yet, but your very exclusive, yet highly publicized, opening party will have guests flock to you. I'll make sure of that."

As I looked around the room filled with people I loved and who had proven they loved me enough to go out of their way, even risk their own dreams to make mine come true, I felt truly blessed. They were my family, and I knew, without a doubt, I'd do the same for them.

Edward's arms snaked around my waist and he pulled me against him, nuzzling the top of my head with his nose. He was everything I ever wanted in a man and more. When I signed up to get married to a stranger, I hoped for a nice guy who didn't look too shabby and treated me right. Never had I thought I'd find a smart, sweet, and gorgeous man who read every wish from my eyes and treated me like the most precious thing on earth.

Even though we had a rough start, we grew together and started building a life for us. Feeling his heart beat against my back and his warmth engulfing me, I knew, with him by my side, I'd be able to handle whatever life threw at me – forever.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** Most of you were right. Edward pulled away from Bella to keep his plan a secret. It hurt Bella, but in the end, she understood. Did you like how it all turned out? Bella got her restaurant and the guys work for themselves now. Isn't that the perfect solution? I think it was. Tell me what you think, here or on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

I want to shout out a special thanks to **ColouredWilde** for her help with the right translation for "Spice." You were a great help.

So, I can't believe this is it. I've grown to love these characters so much that I have a hard time letting them go. There are a few more things I want to add, so I promise there will be an epilogue, probably some time in January. I have some ideas for outtakes/futuretakes, too, meaning we're not completely done yet ;).

Also, I promised you I'd share my initial outline for this story once it was complete. To keep that promise I'll post it as a short chapter, either next week or the first week of the new year.

One more thing, I've been nominated in the TwiFic Fandom Awards. _Tie the Knot_ and _Two Blue Lines_ are both up for _Favorite Snuggle Fic_ , and I've been nominated for _Best Veteran Author_. It's such an honor to be named alongside the most famous writers and stories of our fandom. I ask you all to vote for me or anyone else you like. Here's the link:

twificfandomawards dot blogspot dot de/p/vote dot html

Until then, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


	26. Original Outline

**Original Outline**

As promised, here I'm sharing my original plans for the story with you. I stayed true to my outline almost to the end of chapter 19. Edward and Bella attend Emmett's birthday party and James spills Edward's secrets to Bella. They go home, Bella pulls away from Edward and spends the next day freaking out and crying her eyes out. When she returns home that night, dead set on leaving Edward, she succumbs to her need to be with him one last time. From there, my original outline was very different:

Edward falls asleep without professing his love for Bella. He never gets a call from Vicky about James ratting him out. The next morning, during the decision show, Bella says she wants a divorce before Edward gets the chance to say he wants to stay married. When they both leave the studio, Bella tells him she knows everything, and he doesn't have to say a word. Then she pulls off her wedding band, and hands it to him, stating he can sell it to get more money and wishes him a good life. She turns around, and leaves.

Bella never returns to their shared apartment, and instead, has her stuff removed when Edward's at work. Expecting her to be hiding at Jake's, Edward goes over there to try and explain that he loves her and only wants her. Jake closes the door in his face after telling him to stay the fuck away and leave Bella alone.

Since Bella never got a chance to tell Edward about the restaurant and her fifty thousand aren't enough to buy it, she loses her job and works a row or shitty jobs to just stay busy and not live off her savings.

At some point, Bella flees to Forks for a change of scenery and to get some distance from her failed marriage. There, she starts running the diner after Mrs. Cope has an accident.

All the while, Edward wallows in misery. The game gets published as planned and is a huge success, but he can't enjoy it. A few weeks after the divorce is final, he runs into Jake and asks him about Bella. Jake scowls at him and snaps something along the lines of: "How do you think she is after losing her husband and her job all within a few weeks?" Jake quickly realized Edward doesn't know and tells him the details.

After that, Edward starts to move heaven and earth to get the restaurant back. Jake helps him out by getting Bella to return from Washington once everything is done. As in the final version, Jake takes Bella to a job interview where she enters the empty restaurant, only finding Edward (sans candles). He gifts her with the deed of ownership and tells her his version of what happened, including professing his love for her. In the end, he asks her to give him one more chance and go on a date with him, promising he'd leave her alone if, after that, she decides she doesn't ever want to see him again. Without having to think long, she agrees.

It would have been kind of an open ending if it weren't for the planned epilogue, but that was what I had in mind when I started writing the story. When I began writing chapter 18, though, I felt as though this would have been the predictable route to go. At the same time, the plot bunny hit again with the alternative ending that became the actual one.

I'd really like to know if you're happy with the ending I chose or if you'd have preferred to read three to four chapters of angst. In hindsight, I'm happy with the way I chose to write the final chapters and hope you are, too.

See you next year with the epilogue.


	27. Epilogue

**A/N:** Hi and welcome back in 2017. I can't believe this is finally the epilogue. I remember how excited I was when the plot idea came to me one Sunday afternoon while I was doing a shit ton of laundry, lol. I'll hold off with the sappiness until the end note, though ;).

However, this is where I want to thank my betas and pre-readers who have been with from the very first idea for this story and saw this through with me 'til the end. **Midnight Cougar** , **evelyn-shaye** and **LaPumuckl** , you're the best team a writer could dream of having. Thank you for the many hours of adding or deleting my sometimes irrationally placed commas, counting my overused words, or finding the right way to get the plot from point A to B. I can honestly say I couldn't have done this without you.

On another note, I want to thank everyone who voted for me and my stories in the _TwiFic Fandom Awards_. I still can't believe _Two Blue Lines_ finished third for _Best Snuggle Fic_. It's such an honor to be mentioned in the same breath with _Edward's Eternal_ , _WhatsMyNomDePlume_ and many other fantastic and popular writers.

Now, enjoy the epilogue. See you at the bottom.

 **Disclaimer:** even after three whole stories, I still don't own _Twilight_ , or _Married At First Sight_ …

******TtK******

Epilogue

 **~Edward~**

"Hey, Ed, aren't you done yet? Knowing you, I'm sure you still have to pack." Emmett chuckled.

Waving him off, I replied, "I need to finish this email to Dan Michaels about our progress on _Wally 2_ , then I'm ready for my vacay to start."

Surprisingly, back in February, a mere two months after we sold our rights to _Wally's Wonderland_ , an executive from Microsoft Studios contacted us, commissioning us with programming a sequel to the original game. The offer was to create a second game with Wally as the main character. They gave us a signing bonus of three hundred thousand dollars and the guarantee of an additional one-point-five million to be paid upon completion as long as we delivered within nine months.

It was the middle of July now, and we were mostly done with the concept as well as the general design, which was a good thing, considering I'd be gone for the next three weeks.

"Then hurry up. Rose texted a few minutes ago that she and Bella are ready to leave _Spezia_."

With the restaurant a couple buildings down the street from our office, and Rosalie's work schedule as a freelance journalist being quite flexible, all our daily routines pretty much revolved around _Spezia_ 's opening hours.

Emmett's girlfriend and Bella had gotten really close over the past months, and very often Rose hung out at the restaurant or worked from there until we all could go home together. Shockingly, Seth also got close to one of Bella's friends, and the eternally single Tanya was suddenly happy to be with one guy. The unlikely relationship seemed to work just fine for the two of them, and there had already been discussions of moving in together.

Today, however, we had to go home before closing time, because we were all leaving for the Hamptons in the morning. I quickly finished my message to Dan, shut down the computer, and followed Emmett downstairs and the few yards along the street to the groups of patio tables arranged around the restaurant entrance.

Most of the regulars knew me as Bella's husband and co-owner, greeting me with a friendly wave and smile as I passed them on my way inside.

Under Bella's management, the restaurant had made a speedy recovery from Felix's misfortune. Not only had Marcus's patrons of many years returned, but we had also gained a completely new crowd of people who appreciated Bella's traditional but slightly different take on Italian cuisine. The whole endeavor had been nothing but a success, starting with the opening party last New Year's Eve.

… _We gathered a small group of guests who either were close to us or had been special patrons or business acquaintances while Marcus still ran the place. Among them were our trusted group of friends, my parents, and my old friend, Jasper, and his wife, Alice, who instantly clicked with Bella and Rosalie._

 _The party was in full swing, and after the excellent five-course meal, prepared by Bella's instructions, waiters were circulating with trays full of champagne flutes as the guests mingled, danced, or simply had a good time. Everything was going according to plan when, at one minute to twelve, the DJ turned down the music to announce it was time to grab a fresh drink and find someone special to kiss at midnight._

 _Turning to Bella, who had been by my side most of the evening, I smiled, joining in the countdown everyone in the room was shouting out. Right when the clock struck midnight, I sank down on one knee, took both her hands in mine, and looked up into her awestruck eyes._

" _Spice, I never got to do this right. I've been thinking about asking you for a divorce, so I could ask you to be my wife again, and marry you the way you deserve, but I realized I couldn't stand not being married to you, not even for one day. So, instead, I'm asking you to give me the chance to put a ring on your finger that I actually picked out with only you in mind and have you give one back to me. I want to vow, in front of everyone who matters to us, that I'll love you forever and will always take care of you. Will you please do me the honor of marrying me again?"_

 _Tears were streaming down her face when I finished talking, but her eyes shone with happiness as she pulled me up to my feet, chanting, "Yes, yes, yes, oh God, yes."_

 _Not wanting to remove the wedding band from the finger it sat on, I slid the white gold ring with sapphires, set like a flower with little diamonds around it, on the third finger of her offered right hand. The bright smile on her face let me know, this time, I'd chosen the perfect ring for the woman I loved.…_

Shaking off the memory, I greeted Maggie, the head waitress, who signaled I'd find my wife in the kitchen. After several occasions where I waited for Bella to come to me, she reminded me repeatedly that I owned the place as much as she did and to act the part. So, without hesitating, I strode into the place where the magic happened, finding Bella in an intense conversation with Tyler, her second in command.

The rest of the kitchen staff nodded in greeting as I made my way over, stopping some steps short of to the two chefs, realizing Bella was giving Tyler final instructions on how to handle things in her absence.

"Don't forget to order the fish several days in advance. And for next week's menu, make sure the quality of the tuna is right; otherwise, you go with the flounder dish instead. I don't want a repeat performance of last week."

I could hear the slight annoyance in Tyler's voice when he replied. "Bella, we've been over this twice already. You know you can trust me to run the restaurant for three weeks. Relax, and if I need advice, don't expect me to call you. Marcus insisted I had his number, just in case."

That had me smiling. Marcus was still watching over Bella from afar, making sure everything was going well. In this case, assuring she wasn't bothered with insignificant things during our second honeymoon.

I decided to rescue poor Tyler from Bella's over-eagerness by making my presence known. Despite wanting to hug her to me, I knew I had to keep up at least a semblance of professionalism when our employees were around, so I stepped beside Bella and lightly placed my hand on her waist. Immediately, she acknowledged me by leaning into me almost imperceptibly, then leveled Tyler with a stare.

"Don't make me regret leaving you in charge."

If I hadn't known the two of them were as close as boss and subordinate could be, bantering back and forth on a regular basis, I'd have been worried by Bella's display of superiority. However, as it was, it was rather funny, considering the friendship between the two.

"Come on, boss lady," he teased her. "Get out of here and enjoy your time off. And you, Edward, are you sure you really want to marry her again? She's such a bully."

I chuckled when I saw Bella narrow her eyes at him. "Thanks for the heads up, but I think I can handle her."

****TtK****

About thirty minutes later, we were finally home, where we still had to pack the rest of our stuff for the trip.

"Where did you say we were going again?" Bella asked nonchalantly, knowing full well I didn't say anything about our honeymoon destination.

"We're going to the Hamptons."

Even though I couldn't see it, I knew she was rolling her eyes at my reply.

"I know we're going there tomorrow, smartass, but where are we going after that? You told me to pack my passport, but how do I know what else to pack unless you tell me where we're going?"

I had planned a very special second honeymoon for the two of us, trying to make up for the fact neither of us had seen much of the world so far — though I was sure we wouldn't leave our bedroom often.

"Pack some lingerie, a couple bikinis, and maybe a dress or two. What we don't have, we'll buy there."

Bella huffed with irritation and continued throwing things into two separate bags. We were staying in the Hamptons for three days until we left for the airport the morning after the renewal ceremony and reception. Even though she appeared to be annoyed, I knew deep down, she was excited for the surprise to be revealed in a few days.

****TtK****

I'd decided to go with a sand-colored suit instead of the dark tux I'd worn the first time around. Unlike the stiff ceremony in front of several cameras for national TV, we'd opted for a semi-formal wedding at the beach and a reception in the backyard of the cute B&B we'd rented for all our guests to stay at.

When _Tie the Knot_ started airing in March, Spice and I had discussed the pros and cons of watching it, but in the end, we couldn't hold off. We knew all our friends and family would definitely follow it religiously, and we at least needed to know what they were seeing.

Considering we had to give up all the footage we'd filmed during our "therapy sessions" to avoid a lawsuit for breach of contract, we had no idea what they would or wouldn't use. It turned out, they showed the oddest scenes, painting an interesting but not completely wrong picture of us. They concentrated on our fighting in the beginning and managed to make it look as though Carlisle's interference made things turn around for us.

Bella blushed scarlet from head to toe when we watched the scene from our last night of _Truth or Dare_ where I tried to seduce her by talking dirty. However, I distracted her from the TV by showing her where it could have led, had Renee not called at the most inopportune moment. In the end, it all worked out in our favor when the show made the number of reservations at _Spezia_ rise significantly after the six-month show aired.

As it turned out, out of the three couples they had paired up, we were the only one that made it past the six-month mark. One couple demanded a divorce at the decision show, and the other separated three months after the filming stopped.

We kept in contact with Carlisle and Esme, who were another, rather unlikely couple brought together by the show. They had their first official date at _Spezia_ the week after the restaurant's official opening. They were disappointed to report that, due to the lack of success in founding lasting marriages, the network had decided not to renew the show for another season. We were sad to hear that, knowing we would most likely never have met without their matchmaking. Then again, maybe we were just meant to be.

While I'd thought myself to look dashing in my dark-gray Armani tux, I felt much more myself in the light beige suit I wore today. Maybe it was the knowledge that the woman who'd be walking toward me in about half an hour was the love of my life instead of a stranger I'd never met — or it was because, this time, I'd be putting a ring on my wife's finger I'd taken weeks to pick out especially for her. It could also be the fact that, this time around, I'd be making vows I was more than eager to honor.

Whatever the reason, instead of being nervous, I felt at ease, excited even to get this show on the road.

****TtK****

 **~Bella~**

I couldn't believe how different this felt from the day, about a year ago, when I was waiting to walk down the aisle toward an absolute stranger. Today, I was completely and utterly in love with the man waiting for me at the end and ready to spend the rest of my life with him. In contrast to our first wedding, where I hadn't heard from my dad in weeks and had to ask my oldest friend to give me away, this time it would be Charlie escorting me toward a man he absolutely approved of.

It was amazing how much could change in a single year. Twelve months ago, I was dreaming of belonging to someone, having my own restaurant, and only had the faintest idea of what my future could hold. Today, I would renew my marriage to the love of my life, I owned the restaurant I'd always wanted, and ran it with my husband, and the future was crystal clear in front of me. There was only one thing missing, but I'd make sure to take care of that soon, too.

My dreams weren't the only ones realized through our rash participation in a blind wedding show. Edward and his friends were working their dream jobs, as well. I had no idea how it happened, but all our lives aligned themselves around the restaurant and my weird schedule.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided to just be happy and enjoy my life.

Like so many other things that were different today from what they were a year ago, so was my dress. Back then, I'd set out to buy something that flattered my body but would also conform with the latest fashion trends _and_ look good on TV. The light, flowy chiffon dress with its ruffled straps, deep V-neck, and wrap-around style I was wearing today was anything but the latest thing from Paris. However, it was exactly what I pictured myself getting married in on a sunny beach. Out of convenience, due to the location and for comfort, I was wearing white ballerina flats instead of the high heels I'd donned last time, and my hair was loosely braided down my back with a few white flowers stuck in here and there. In short, I'd never felt this beautiful in all my life.

I was startled when I felt two warm hands on my shoulders. "You look stunning, Bells," my dad, whom I hadn't heard enter the room, whispered.

Smiling brightly, I turned around and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him close to me. "Thank you for being here," I murmured against his shirted chest. "It means so much to me."

"Oh, Bells, I might be an idiot, but I don't make the same mistake twice. I wouldn't miss this for the world." He kissed the top of my head, then looked down at me. "Are you ready?"

"I've never been more ready."

Charlie offered me his arm, and I linked mine with his as he led me out of the room. Outside the door in the hall stood Jacob, who was acting as my man of honor, examining me appreciatively.

"Dammit, Bells. You look even more perfect than the last time. Edward won't know what hit him."

Rising up on my tiptoes, I placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, then accepted the bouquet he handed me. With a last wish of good luck, he scurried off to take his designated place.

Charlie patted my hand and locked his gaze with mine once more, a wistful gleam in his eyes. He then walked me out of the building, through the backyard where everything was set up for our reception, and down the short path to the beach, stopping at the foot of the wood-covered aisle.

The soft classical music that had been playing over two speakers stopped and changed to _Pachelbel's_ _Canon_ , and all the guests rose from their seats to look at us. I only had eyes for the lone figure at the end of the aisle, though. Edward looked more gorgeous than he did the last time I met him under similar circumstances. The sand-colored suit became him even more than the designer tux the network had paid for. His untamed hair blowing in the light breeze appeared to be redder than usual with the sun shining down on it.

In that moment, I was glad we were already married, and therefore, had broken with tradition and insisted on spending last night together instead of apart. Otherwise, I'd have sprinted down the aisle and ravished him in front of everyone who wasn't fast enough to look away.

I followed Charlie's lead when he started to walk slowly toward the shoreline where Edward was waiting. After what felt like hours, my dad placed my hand in Edward's, showing his acceptance with a clap on his son-in-law's, then took his seat beside Sue.

My eyes were glued to Edward's green ones while we listened to the minister talk about the meaning of love and marriage, and how important it was to honor your wedding vows every day. When we finally got the opportunity to repeat after him, there was no question that we both meant every single word — and unlike last time, when Edward was told to kiss the bride, I didn't turn away when his lips descended on mine.

Everything was exactly the way I'd dreamed, and with our hands clasped in each other's, we made our way through our clapping and whistling friends and family.

The reception went by in a blur, and we had a wonderful time dancing with everyone in attendance, even my dad swallowed his insecurities and led first me then Sue around the dance floor.

When the sun set, hundreds of little twinkling lights lit up the sky above us and turned the whole scenery into a fairytale.

We ate, we drank, and we celebrated our union deep into the night until Edward whisked me away to our room to have a celebration of our own.

****TtK****

The next morning, after an elaborate breakfast in bed, we made our way to the airport. I was still slightly annoyed but also excited to find out what he'd been planning so secretively for the past several months. If it had been possible, he would have blindfolded and deafened me until we reached our final destination, but as it was, airport security would not have been amused.

"Oh, my God! We're going to Barbados?" I almost squealed when I saw what was written over the check-in counter, throwing myself at Edward's neck. I'd always wanted to go to the Caribbean, and Barbados was my first choice of destination.

"You wanted to see it, so I thought we could go."

I pressed my lips to his in thanks before we turned and made our way to the lady waiting to check us in. It took a couple minutes for her to enter Edward's information into the computer and confirm his identity, then she handed him his passport with a smile. She got to work on mine for a short while, handing my passport back to me with the words, "Here you go, Mrs. Masen. Have a great trip."

Edward stood, staring at me incredulously. Blinking a few times, he took my papers from me, scrutinizing them.

"You changed your name?" he asked in awe.

We'd never actually talked about it, and he'd never asked me to, but I knew he was longing for me to share his last name — as I wanted to belong to him in every way possible. So, about a month ago, I'd gone and had my name changed legally, and applied for a new passport so I could surprise him.

"I did." I couldn't hide the smile at his obvious joy.

"Shit. That's the best present ever, Spice. Thank you."

After a drawn-out, slightly X-rated kiss, we made our way to get our flight arm in arm.

****TtK****

Edward had booked us into a five-star resort in Bridgetown, where, about twelve hours later, we found ourselves in a big, comfy bed, sated and cuddling. Even though we'd consummated our marriage the previous night — twice — we'd had a difficult time keeping our hands to ourselves during the flight. As soon as the door to our suite closed behind the bellhop, we'd ripped off our clothes and tried out the California king waterbed.

The last rays of sunshine fell through the open drapes of our bedroom and hit the sparkling blue stones on my right ring finger. When Edward proposed to me on New Year's Eve, I was speechless, seeing the ring he'd picked for me. As much as my original wedding band wasn't my style, the sapphire ring shaped like a flower was exactly what I'd have picked myself.

If that wasn't enough, the new wedding band he'd put on my left hand during our beach ceremony was perfect, as well — and surprisingly the same one I'd chosen for him.

I was going for traditional but not boring, and when I found the platinum band with the red-gold inside, I knew I'd found what I'd been looking for. Who could have known he'd felt the same way and our wedding bands would end up matching?

Edward's contented sigh rumbled through his chest as I drew lazy circles on his abs, and I knew the time had come to approach a subject we'd put to rest for a while.

"You know how we talked about buying a house in Brooklyn some day?" My voice was low and serious.

I could feel him nod before he replied, "Yeah. We agreed it could wait until we were ready to start a family."

In our few discussions of the topic, it had been clear I was the one who needed time while Edward had been ready to knock me up pretty much from the moment we knew we loved each other. So, essentially, he was waiting for me to get on board.

"Um, I think I want to start looking for that house once we're back in New York." Biting my lip, I waited for Edward to catch on to my hidden meaning.

His hand on my arm stilled, and I could feel him swallow above me. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" The excitement in his tone was unmistakable.

"If you mean I'm saying I want to start trying for a baby, and that I didn't start my new pack of pills this month, then yeah, that's what I was trying to say."

In the blink of an eye, I was on my back with Edward hovering above me, crushing his lips to mine. "Baby, you have no idea how much I love you … and how incredibly turned on I am by the idea of knocking you up."

Those were the last coherent words spoken that night, and in hindsight, I was pretty sure it was the night our daughter was conceived.

********TtK********

 **A/N:** I'm sad to say it, but this is it. Edward and Bella are finally properly married and about to start a family. I'm dying to know, though, how did you like the proposal? And what about the wedding? Tell me here on on _Facebook_ in my group _Payton 79's Fanfiction_. If you want to see pics of the rings, Bella's dress, or her hair style, they're up in my group as well.

Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story from the beginning, all of you who jumped on board in the middle, and to everyone who waited to read it until it was completed. It was a wonderful, fun ride and I couldn't ask for any better readers than you. I love you all.

I have some good news for all of you who like my stories: I've worked out a plot for a new story. If I dare say it, I think the plot is rather unique, at least I haven't stumbled across any thing like it before. I started writing it a few weeks ago, but it will take some time until I'll be able to post it. If you put me on author's alert, you'll know when the time has come. And I'll make sure to post little tidbits in my Facebook group. Just so you know, I have no plans of leaving :).

So, I'll hit "complete" on Tie the Knot now, but I promise to give you at least one outtake/futuretake at some point, probably once the new story is ready to post. So you should keep the story on alert. If you have any specific ideas or wishes, please let me know. Maybe I can incorporate them.

That was it from me — for now. Take care and we'll hear from each other again.


	28. Announcement

Hi my friends!

I'm really sorry this isn't the futuretake I promised you and that you were hoping for. I assure you I'll get to that eventually. I'm also ashamed I didn't manage to reply to the reviews I got after I hit "complete" on this story. A lot was going on at the time and I was eager to get my ideas for my new story to paper, or rather, on the screen. That brings us to the real reason for this update. Today, I posted the first chapter of my new story It Takes a Village, and I'd love for you to accompany me on that journey.

Here's the summary:

 _Nowadays, families come in all shades and forms. When 32-year-old pediatrician Edward meets the woman of his dreams, he gets more than he bargained for. She's captivating, but complicated, with her unconventional variation of family dynamic. Does she come with more baggage—or people—than he can handle? Will he be able to keep his distance? Maybe things aren't quite as they seem. Sometimes, it takes a village..._

If that piqued your interest, go to my profile and click on the link to the new story. Can't wait to read your thoughts on it.

xo Payton

P.S. If you like, send me a review and let me know what you'd like to read for a futuretake. As of now, I'm open to almost anything ;).


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